Camera system for intelligent driver assistance system, and driver assistance system and method

ABSTRACT

An advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) provides collision avoidance control for a host vehicle. The system can include one or more sensors mounted to the host vehicle and configured to sense a driving lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and to sense an external vehicle partially engaged in the driving lane. A controller controls steering, braking, or acceleration of the host vehicle on the basis of sensing information received from the sensor. The controller determines the external vehicle partially engaged in the driving lane as a target vehicle having at least a part thereof overlapping with a lane mark of the driving lane, and performs longitudinal braking or acceleration control or lateral steering control on the host vehicle based on lateral and longitudinal positional relationships between the host vehicle and the target vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of International Application No.PCT/KR2018/000826, filed on Jan. 18, 2018, which claims the benefit ofKorean Application No. KR 10-2017-0009172, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009173, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009174, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009175, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009176, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009209, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009210, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009211, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009212, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009213, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009214, filed Jan. 19, 2017, KoreanApplication No. KR 10-2017-0009215, filed Jan. 19, 2017, the disclosuresof which are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an advanced driving assistance system(ADAS), and more particularly, to a camera system for an ADAS, and adriver assistance system and method.

BACKGROUND ART

An ADAS, which is an enhanced driver assistance system for assisting adriver in driving a vehicle, is configured to sense a situation ahead,determine a situation on the basis of the sensed result, and control thevehicle's behavior on the basis of the situation determination. Forexample, an ADAS sensor apparatus senses vehicles ahead and recognizeslanes. Subsequently, when a target lane or a target speed and a targetahead are determined, an electrical stability control (ESC), an enginemanagement system (EMS), a motor driven power steering (MDPS), and thelike of a vehicle are controlled. Typically, an ADAS may be implementedwith an automatic parking system, a low-speed city driving assistancesystem, a blind zone warning system, and the like.

In the ADAS, a sensor apparatus for sensing a situation ahead includes aGlobal Positioning System (GPS) sensor, a laser scanner, a front radar,a Lidar, etc. Typically, the sensor apparatus is a front-view camera forcapturing a region ahead of the vehicle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Technical Problem

A first embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to providing avoltage logic and a memory logic that may be used in a front-view camerasystem for an ADAS.

Also, the first embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toproviding a method of coupling a lens barrel and a lens holder in afront-view camera system for an ADAS.

A second embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to providing acollision prevention system and method capable of avoiding collidingwith a target vehicle by controlling the steering of a host vehicle.

Also, the second embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toproviding a collision prevention system and method capable of avoidingcolliding with a target vehicle by controlling the speed of a hostvehicle.

Also, the second embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toproviding a collision prevention system and method capable of avoidingcolliding between a host vehicle and a vehicle cutting ahead of the hostvehicle from the next lane by controlling one or more of the speed, thebraking, and the steering of the host vehicle when the cutting vehiclechanges lanes.

A technical object of a third embodiment of the present disclosure is toprovide a driving assistance system for making a lane change to a leftturn lane in order to turn left.

A technical object of the third embodiment of the present disclosure isto provide a driving assistance system for a vehicle turning left bycontrolling the steering of the vehicle after the vehicle enters a leftturn lane.

Also, a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toproviding an emergency braking system and method capable of controllingan emergency braking start time according to a degree to which a road isslippery.

Also, the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toproviding an emergency braking system and method capable of advancing anemergency braking start time when it is determined that a vehicle isrunning on a slippery road.

A technical object of a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure is toprovide a driving assistance system for preventing a collision with avehicle cutting ahead of a host vehicle.

A sixth embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to providing across traffic alert (CTA) system and method capable of sensing a risk ofcollision between a host vehicle and a nearby vehicle at an intersectionand warning a driver of the collision risk according to the level of thecollision risk.

The sixth embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to providinga CTA system and method capable of sensing a risk of collision between ahost vehicle and a nearby vehicle at an intersection and capable ofperforming steering control on the host vehicle as well as warning adriver of the collision risk according to the level of the collisionrisk.

A seventh embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toimplementing automatic emergency braking on the basis of a longitudinaltime-to-collision (TTC) and a lateral TTC between a host vehicle and athird-party vehicle in a front-view camera system for an ADAS.

333 a driving assistance system for determining a possibility of acollision between a host vehicle and a nearby vehicle and warning adriver of the collision possibility.

A technical object of a ninth embodiment of the prevent disclosure is toprovide a driving assistance system for determining a TTC betweenvehicles at an intersection and prevent a collision between thevehicles.

Also, a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toproviding an intersection prevention system and method capable ofdetermining priorities for Cross traffic alert (CTA) control throughcommunication between a host vehicle and nearby vehicles when the hostvehicle enters an intersection and of enabling a plurality of vehiclesto systematically perform CTA control at the intersection according tothe determined CTA priorities.

Also, the tenth embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toproviding a CTA system and method capable of detecting a laterallyappearing vehicle or pedestrian and then performing CTA control toprevent a collision therebetween when a host vehicle enters anintersection.

An eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toproviding a vehicle control apparatus and method capable of sensing anintersection by means of a radar and a camera disposed in a hostvehicle, sensing a side of the host vehicle at the sensed intersection,and determining whether the host vehicle will collide with a targetvehicle.

Also, the eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure is directed toproviding a vehicle control apparatus and method capable of issuing awarning to a driver and performing emergency braking on a host vehiclewhen it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision betweenthe host vehicle and a target vehicle on the basis of whether the hostvehicle will collide with the target vehicle.

A technical object of a twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure isto provide a diving assistance system capable of using a camera systemto watch a direction, other than a direction that a driver is watching,and thus controlling a vehicle.

Technical Solution

According to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, there isdisclosed a vehicle camera system including a lens (10) configured tocapture a region ahead of a vehicle; a lens barrel (15) configured toaccommodate the lens in an internal space thereof; a lens holder (20)coupled to the lens barrel; an image sensor (31) configured to sense animage captured by the lens; an image processor (41) configured toreceive image data from the image sensor and process the received imagedata; and a camera micro-control unit (MCU) (42) configured tocommunicate with the image processor and receive the data processed bythe image processor.

The vehicle camera system further includes a first converter unit (521)configured to receive an ignition voltage (510) and output at least onevoltage; and a regulator unit (523) configured to receive the voltageoutput by the first converter unit (521) and output at least onevoltage.

The camera MCU (42) receives a first voltage (511) from the firstconverter unit 521 as operating power, and the image processor (41)receives the first voltage (511) from the first converter unit (521) asoperating power.

The first voltage (511) output from the first converter unit (521) is3.3 V.

The image processor (41) receives a second voltage (512) from the firstconverter unit (521), the image sensor (31) receives a fifth voltage(515) from the regulator unit (523), and the second voltage (512) is thesame as the fifth voltage (515).

The second voltage and the fifth voltage (515) are 1.8 V.

The image sensor (31) receives a sixth voltage (516) from the regulatorunit (523) as core power, and the sixth voltage (516) is 2.8 V.

The first converter unit (521) is configured to include at least oneDC-to-DC converter, and the regulator unit (523) is configured toinclude at least one low-dropout (LDO).

The camera MCU (42) communicates with a first memory (531).

The image processor (41) communicates with a second memory (532) and athird memory (533).

The second memory (532) has capacity determined depending on the numberof advanced driving assistance system (ADAS) functions supported by thevehicle camera system.

The vehicle camera system is used to implement at least one of thefollowing functions: Road Boundary Departure Prevention Systems (RBDPS),Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Systems (CACC), Vehicle/roadwaywarning systems, Partially Automated Parking Systems (PAPS), PartiallyAutomated Lane Change Systems (PALS), Cooperative Forward VehicleEmergency Brake Warning Systems (C-FVBWS), Lane Departure WarningSystems (LDWS), Pedestrian Detection and Collision Mitigation Systems(PDCMS), Curve Speed Warning Systems (CSWS), Lane Keeping AssistanceSystems (LKAS), Adaptive Cruise Control systems (ACC), Forward VehicleCollision Warning Systems (FVCWS), Maneuvering Aids for Low SpeedOperation systems (MALSO), Lane Change Decision Aid Systems (LCDAS), LowSpeed Following systems (LSF), Full Speed Range Adaptive cruise controlsystems (FSRA), Forward Vehicle Collision Mitigation Systems (FVCMS),Extended Range Backing Aids systems (ERBA), Cooperative IntersectionSignal Information and Violation Warning Systems (CIWS), and TrafficImpediment Warning Systems (TIWS).

The lens barrel additionally has a flange, and a groove is formed on alower surface of the flange of the lens barrel.

The groove is formed to have at least one of a single circular shape, adual circular shape, a cross lattice shape, and a zigzag shape.

A groove is formed on an upper surface of the lens holder.

The groove is formed to have at least one of a single circular shape, adual circular shape, a cross lattice shape, and a zigzag shape.

A collision prevention system according to a second embodiment of thepresent disclosure includes a camera system configured to generate imagedata regarding regions ahead of, behind, to the left of, and to theright of a host vehicle, a radar system configured to generate radardata regarding objects ahead of, behind, to the left of, and to theright of the host vehicle, and an electronic control unit (ECU)configured to analyze the image data and the radar data, detect a targetvehicle from among nearby vehicles, and control at least one of thespeed, braking, and steering of the host vehicle when it is determinedthat a collision will occur between the host vehicle and the targetvehicle is determined.

When it is determined that a collision will occur between the hostvehicle and the target vehicle is determined, the ECU transmits acontrol signal to at least one of a vehicle posture controller, asteering controller, an engine controller, a suspension controller, anda brake controller, which are disposed in the host vehicle.

It is assumed that a collision with a target vehicle ahead is expectedto occur. When there is no risk of collision with a vehicle traveling inthe next lane, the ECU controls the steering controller to change atraveling direction of the host vehicle. On the other hand, when thereis a risk of collision with a vehicle traveling in the next lane, theECU controls the engine controller and the brake controller.

When a collision with a target vehicle cutting from the next lane isexpected to occur, the ECU controls the steering controller to changethe traveling direction of the host vehicle, or controls the enginecontroller and the brake controller to control the speed of the hostvehicle.

A collision prevention method according to the second embodiment of thepresent disclosure includes generating image data regarding regionsahead of, behind, to the left of, and to the right of a host vehicle andgenerating radar data regarding objects ahead of, behind, to the leftof, and to the right of the host vehicle; analyzing the image data andthe radar data to detect a target vehicle from among nearby vehicles;determining whether a collision will occur between the host vehicle andthe target vehicle; and controlling at least one of the speed, braking,and steering of the host vehicle when it is determined that a collisionwill occur.

Also, when there is no risk of collision with a vehicle traveling in thenext lane, the steering is controlled to change the traveling directionof the host vehicle. On the other hand, when there is a risk ofcollision with a vehicle traveling in the next lane, the speed of thehost vehicle is controlled.

Also, when a collision with a target vehicle cutting from the next laneis expected to occur, the steering is controlled to change the travelingdirection of the host vehicle, or the speed of the host vehicle iscontrolled.

A driving assistance system according to a third embodiment of thepresent disclosure is provided. The driving assistance system includes acamera system. The vehicle camera system includes an ECU for controllingthe vehicle through state information of the surroundings of thevehicle. The ECU receives the state information and controls thesteering of the vehicle such that the lane of the steering is changed toa left-turn lane.

According to the third embodiment, the state information includes atleast one of a road mark and an expanded branch lane.

According to the third embodiment, the camera system discovers firstinformation regarding a region ahead of the vehicle, and the ECUreceives the first information and controls the speed and brake of thevehicle.

According to the third embodiment, the first information includes atleast one of data regarding vehicles ahead, data regarding lanes ahead,distances from font vehicles, data regarding traffic signs of anintersection, and signal data of an intersection.

According to the third embodiment, after the vehicle is steered to theleft-turn lane, the ECU determines and controls whether to stop thevehicle through the second information regarding a region surroundingthe vehicle, which is received from the vehicle camera system. Also, thesecond information includes an intersection stop line, the presence ofvehicles ahead, and intersection signal data.

According to the third embodiment, the ECU controls the driver warningcontroller to inform the driver of whether the vehicle is allowed toturn left, which is determined through the state information.

According to the third embodiment, the driving assistance system furtherincludes a GPS apparatus for informing of whether a left turn is allowedat the intersection and whether there is a left-turn branch lane ahead.The ECU receives and processes data transmitted by the GPS apparatus.

An emergency braking system according to a fourth embodiment of thepresent disclosure includes a camera system configured to recognize aroad condition or a traffic sign ahead, a navigation processorconfigured to calculate the speed of a host vehicle and calculate arelative speed between the host vehicle and a target vehicle, and an ECUconfigured to calculate a time-to-collision on the basis of the relativespeed, calculate a start time of emergency braking control, and advancethe start time of emergency braking control when it is determined thatthe host vehicle is traveling on a slippery road.

The emergency braking system according to the fourth embodiment of thepresent disclosure further includes a navigation system configured torecognize weather information corresponding to the road on which thevehicle is traveling, and the ECU advances the start time of emergencybraking control when it is determined that the road is slippery on thebasis of the weather information corresponding to the road.

When a windshield wiper operates for a certain period of time, the ECUof the emergency braking system according to the fourth embodiment ofthe present disclosure determines that the host vehicle is traveling ona slippery road and advances the start time of emergency brakingcontrol.

The ECU of the emergency braking system according to the fourthembodiment of the present disclosure applies a weight of 30% to 70% whenthe start point of emergency braking control is calculated, and advancesthe start time of emergency braking control.

A driving assistance system according to a fifth embodiment of thepresent disclosure is provided. The driving assistance system furtherincludes an ECU configured to determine a risk of collision with athird-party vehicle on the basis of the location of the host vehicle ina first lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and configured tocontrol the host vehicle. The camera system discovers the presence andlocation of a third-party vehicle cutting ahead of the host vehicle, andthe ECU controls the host vehicle on the basis of the lateral locationsof the host vehicle and the third-party vehicle.

According to the fifth embodiment, when the camera system determinesthat no vehicle is present in a second lane, which is opposite to a lanefrom which the third-party vehicle is cutting into the first lane, theECU controls the steering of the host vehicle to make a lane change tothe second lane.

According to the fifth embodiment, when the camera system determinesthat another vehicle is present in the lane opposite to the lane fromwhich the third-party vehicle is cutting ahead of the host vehicle, theECU changes the speed of the host vehicle while controlling the hostvehicle to maintain the first lane.

According to the fifth embodiment, the driving assistance system furtherincludes a radar apparatus configured to discover a distance between thehost vehicle and the third-party vehicle, and the camera system findsthe lateral positions of the host vehicle and the third-party vehicle.

According to the fifth embodiment, the ECU controls the host vehicle toaccelerate in order to pass the third-party vehicle before thethird-party enters the first lane.

According to the fifth embodiment, the ECU controls the host vehicle todecelerate in order to prevent a collision with the third-part vehicle.

According to the fifth embodiment, the driving assistance system furtherincludes a radar apparatus configured to discover a longitudinaldistance between the host vehicle and the third-party vehicle. Thecamera system discovers a lateral distance between the host vehicle andthe third-party vehicle, and the ECU performs longitudinal and lateralcontrol on the host vehicle in order to prevent a collision between thehost vehicle and the third-party vehicle.

According to the fifth embodiment, the camera system discovers the firstlane ahead of the host vehicle, and the ECU calculates the location ofthe host vehicle in the first lane through first lane informationacquired by the camera system and controls the steering and speed of thehost vehicle.

A cross traffic alert (CTA) system according to a sixth embodiment ofthe present disclosure includes an ECU configured to determine, on alevel basis, a risk of collision with a nearby vehicle on the basis ofwhether the steering wheel is operated at an intersection and whetherthe host vehicle is stopped or is traveling at the intersection and adriver warning controller configured to warn about the risk of collisionbetween the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle in a video and/or audiomanner on the basis of a result of the ECU determining the risk ofcollision.

When the steering wheel is operated to turn left, right, or around whilethe host vehicle is stopped, the ECU determines a first-level risk ofcollision between the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle. For thefirst-level collision risk, the driver warning controller issues awarning about the first-level collision risk in the video manner.

When the steering wheel is operated to turn left, right, or around whilethe host vehicle starts traveling, the ECU determines a second-levelrisk of collision between the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle. Forthe second-level collision risk, the driver warning controller issues awarning about the second-level collision risk in both of the videomanner and the audio manner.

The CTA system includes a steering controller configured to performcontrol on an electronic power steering system (MPDS) for driving thesteering wheel. Also, when there is a risk of collision with the nearbyvehicle but the steering wheel is not operated to avoid the collisionwhile the host vehicle is turning left, right, or around, the ECUdetermines a third-level collision risk. For the third-level collisionrisk, the driver warning controller issues a warning about thethird-level collision risk in both of the video manner and the audiomanner. For the third-level collision risk, the steering controllercontrols the steering to avoid the collision between the host vehicleand the nearby vehicle.

An image processor according to a seventh embodiment of the presentdisclosure is configured to calculate a longitudinal TTC (TTCx) and alateral TTC (TTCy) between a host vehicle and a third-party vehicleahead and determine whether to execute autonomous emergency braking(AEB) on the basis of a relationship between the longitudinal TTC andthe lateral TTC.

In order to determine whether to execute the AEB, the image processordetermines to execute the AEB when the absolute value of the differencebetween the longitudinal TTC and the lateral TTC is smaller than apredetermined threshold TTCth.

The pre-determined threshold is determined on the basis of at least oneof the longitudinal TTC, the lateral TTC, a road condition, a roadinclination, and a temperature.

A driving assistance system according to an eighth embodiment of thepresent disclosure is provided. The driving assistance system includes acamera system and also includes an ECU configured to determine a risk ofcollision with a nearby vehicle on the basis of the state of a hostvehicle at an intersection, a rear radar installed in the host vehicleand configured to recognize the nearby vehicle, and a driver warningcontroller configured to issue a warning about the risk of collisionbetween the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle on the basis of a resultof the ECU determining the risk of collision. The camera systemrecognizes the signal of a traffic light ahead of the host vehicle andtransmits the signal to the ECU.

According to the eighth embodiment, the camera system recognizes thatthe traffic light is changed from a “go” signal to a yellow signal or ared signal.

According to the eighth embodiment, the ECU calculates the presence ofthe nearby vehicle, a distance from the nearby vehicle, the speed of thenearby vehicle, and the traveling angle of the nearby vehicle by usingthe data measured by the rear radar, and determines the risk ofcollision with the nearby vehicle.

According to the eighth embodiment, when the “go” signal of the trafficlight is changed to the yellow signal or red signal and the rear radarrecognizes that the nearby vehicle accelerates or travels at constantspeed, the ECU warns a driver of the collision risk through the driverwarning controller.

According to the eighth embodiment, the driver warning controller warnsthe driver in at least one of a video manner, an audio manner, andsteering wheel vibration.

According to the ninth embodiment, a driving assistance system includinga camera system includes an ECU configured to determine a risk ofcollision with a nearby vehicle on the basis of a traveling path of ahost vehicle at an intersection and configured to control a vehicle anda sensor configured to discover the nearby vehicle at the intersection.The nearby vehicle travels in a direction crossing the travelingdirection of the host vehicle, and the ECU calculates atime-to-collision through the speed of the host vehicle and the speed ofthe nearby vehicle.

According to the ninth embodiment, the camera system measures thelocation of the nearby vehicle. The sensor measures a distance betweenthe host vehicle and the nearby vehicle, and the ECU calculates atime-to-collision through the data measured by the camera system and thesensor.

According to the ninth embodiment, the ECU calculates a firsttime-to-collision of the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle incombination of a traveling route and the data measured by the camerasystem and the sensor, re-calculates a possibility of collision betweenthe host vehicle and the nearby vehicle after the firsttime-to-collision, and calculates a vehicle control start time forcalculating a second time-to-collision. When the secondtime-to-collision is smaller than the first time-to-collision at thevehicle control start time, the ECU controls the host vehicle.

According to the ninth embodiment, the vehicle control start timeincludes a first vehicle control start time and a second vehicle controlstart time later than the first vehicle control start time. The ECUgenerates an alert at the first vehicle control start time and thenwarns the driver, and controls the steering and braking of the vehicleat the second vehicle control start time to avoid a collision.

A CTA system according to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure acamera system configured to generate image data regarding regions aheadof, behind, to the left of, and to the right of a host vehicle, a radarsystem configured to generate radar data regarding regions ahead of,behind, to the left of, and to the right of the host vehicle, and an ECUconfigured to analyze the image data and the radar data when the hostvehicle enters an intersection, determine whether a collision will occurbetween the host vehicle and nearby vehicles or pedestrians, and set apriority of CTA control for the host vehicle and the nearby vehicleswhen it is determined that a collision will occur.

When it is determined that a collision will occur at the intersection,the ECU transmits a control signal to at least one of a vehicle posturecontroller, a steering controller, an engine controller, a suspensioncontroller, and a brake controller, which are disposed in the hostvehicle.

Also, when it is determined that a collision will occur at theintersection, the ECU generates a CTA control signal of the host vehicleand transmits the CTA signal to the nearby vehicles. Also, the ECUreceives CTA control signals of the nearby vehicles from the nearbyvehicles and compares the CTA control signal of the host vehicle and theCTA control signals of the nearby vehicles to set a priority for the CTAcontrol.

A vehicle control apparatus according to an eleventh embodiment of thepresent disclosure includes an image generation unit configured tocapture a region ahead of a host vehicle to generate an image regardingthe region ahead, a first information generation unit configured tosense the region ahead of the host vehicle and generate first sensinginformation, a second information generation unit configured to sensethe side of the host vehicle and increase the sensing of the side of thehost vehicle to generate second sensing information when an intersectionis sensed on the basis of the first sensing information and the imageregarding the region ahead, and a control unit configure to select atarget vehicle on the basis of the second information, determine whetherthe target vehicle will collide with the host vehicle, and control thebraking of the host vehicle.

Here, the second information generation unit generates the secondsensing information by increasing the width of the sensing region to theside of the host vehicle after the intersection is sensed over the areaof the sensing region to the side of the host vehicle before theintersection is sensed.

Also, the second information generation unit generates the secondsensing information by increasing the length of the sensing region tothe side of the host vehicle after the intersection is sensed over thelength of the sensing region to the side of the host vehicle before theintersection is sensed.

Also, the second information generation unit generates the secondsensing information for increasing the number of times a vehicle issensed for a certain period of time by decreasing a sensing cycle inwhich sensing is performed in the sensing region to the side of the hostvehicle after the intersection is sensed below a sensing cycle in whichsensing is performed in the sensing region to the side of the hostvehicle before the intersection is sensed.

Also, based on the second sensing information, the control unit selectsa vehicle close to the host vehicle and a vehicle approaching the hostvehicle as target vehicles.

Also, the control unit determines whether a collision will occur betweenthe host vehicle and a target vehicle, and performs control to warn adriver of the collision or to brake the host vehicle when it isdetermined that the collision will occur between the host vehicle andthe target vehicle.

A vehicle control method according to the eleventh embodiment of thepresent disclosure includes capturing and sensing a region ahead of ahost vehicle to sense lanes; increasing the sensing of a side of thehost vehicle, choosing the side of the host vehicle as a criticalsensing target, and intensively sensing the side of the vehicle when theintersection is sensed; and selecting a target vehicle on the basis ofthe sensing result, determining whether a collision will occur betweenthe target vehicle and the host vehicle, and controlling the hostvehicle.

Here, the sensing of the side of the host vehicle includes increasingthe width of the sensing region to the side of the host vehicle afterthe intersection is sensed over the width of the sensing region to theside of the host vehicle before the intersection is sensed.

Also, the sensing of the side of the host vehicle includes increasingthe length of the sensing region to the side of the host vehicle afterthe intersection is sensed over the length of the sensing region to theside of the host vehicle before the intersection is sensed.

Also, the sensing of the side of the host vehicle includes increasingthe number of times sensing is performed for a certain period of time bydecreasing a sensing cycle in which sensing is performed in the sensingregion to the side of the host vehicle after the intersection is sensedbelow a sensing cycle in which sensing is performed in the sensingregion to the side of the host vehicle before the intersection issensed.

Also, the controlling of the host vehicle includes selecting a vehicleclose to the host vehicle and a vehicle approaching the host vehicle astarget vehicles on the basis of the sensing result.

Also, the controlling of the host vehicle includes determining whether acollision will occur between the host vehicle and a target vehicle, andperforming control to warn a driver of the collision or to brake thehost vehicle when it is determined that the collision will occur betweenthe host vehicle and the target vehicle.

A driving assistance system according to a twelfth embodiment of thepresent disclosure is provided. The driving assistance system includes acamera system and further includes an ECU configured to determine a riskof collision with a nearby vehicle at an intersection on the basis of atraveling route of a host vehicle and a driver monitoring cameraconfigured to sensing a first direction that a driver is watching at theintersection. The ECU controls the vehicle camera system to sense asecond direction, which is different from the first direction.

According to a twelfth embodiment, when the vehicle camera system sensesan object approaching the host vehicle from the second direction, theECU generates a warning.

According to the twelfth embodiment, when there is a possibility ofcollision between the host vehicle and an object located in the seconddirection, the ECU controls both or either of the steering and brakingof the host vehicle.

According to the twelfth embodiment, the driver monitoring camera sensesa heading direction of the driver's face or a viewing direction of thedriver's eyes to sense a direction that the driver is watching.

According to the twelfth embodiment, the first direction is a drivercontrol range, and the second direction is a system control range. TheECU generates an alert when there is a collision possibility in thedriver control range, and generates an alert and controls both or eitherof the steering and braking of the host vehicle when there is acollision possibility in the system control range.

According to the twelfth embodiment, the ECU determines, on a levelbasis, a collision risk possibility on the basis of a distance from athird-party vehicle that is collidable with the host vehicle. When acollision risk level in the system control range is the same as that inthe driver control range, the ECU determines that the collision riskpossibility in the system control range is higher than that in thedriver control range.

Advantageous Effects

According to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, a voltagelogic and a memory logic that may be used in a front-view camera systemfor an ADAS may be implemented.

Also, according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure, ascheme capable of coupling a lens barrel and a lens holder in afront-view camera system for an ADAS may be provided.

Also, according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, ascheme capable of coupling a lens barrel and a lens holder in afront-view camera system for an ADAS may be provided.

Also, according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, itis possible to avoid a collision with a target vehicle by controllingthe steering of a host vehicle.

Also, according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, itis possible to avoid a collision with a target vehicle by controllingthe speed of a host vehicle.

Also, according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, itis possible to avoid a collision between a host vehicle and a vehiclecutting from the next lane by controlling one or more of the speed,braking, and steering of the host vehicle when the vehicle in the nextlane changes lanes.

According to the third embodiment of the present disclosure, it ispossible to control a vehicle traveling in a left-hand lane toautomatically enter a branch lane using state information acquiredthrough a camera system.

According to the third embodiment of the present disclosure, it ispossible to reduce a possibility of collision with another vehiclethrough first information and second information acquired by a camerasystem when a vehicle enters a branch lane.

According to the third embodiment of the present disclosure, it ispossible to determine whether a left turn is allowed through secondinformation acquired by a camera system after a vehicle enters a branchlane, and thus to control the steering of the vehicle.

Also, according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, itis possible to control a start time of emergency braking according to adegree to which a road is slippery.

Also, according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure, itis possible to prevent a head-on/rear-end collision accident due to theincrease in braking distance by advancing the emergency braking starttime when it is determined that the road is slippery.

According to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure, by sensinga third-party vehicle cutting ahead of a host vehicle through a camerasystem for sensing a region ahead of the host vehicle, it is possible toprevent a collision between the host vehicle and the third-partyvehicle.

According to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure, a laneahead of a host vehicle and also a third-party vehicle cutting ahead ofthe host vehicle may be sensed, and the location of the host vehicle inthe lane may be determined. Through such information, it is possible toprevent a collision between the host vehicle and the third-party vehiclethrough the deceleration, acceleration, and steering control of the hostvehicle.

With the CTA system and method according to the sixth embodiment of thepresent disclosure, a risk of collision between a host vehicle and anearby vehicle may be sensed, and a driver may be warned of thecollision risk according to the level of the collision risk. Also, bycontrolling the steering of the host vehicle as well as issuing thewarning for the collision risk according to the level of the collisionrisk, it is possible to avoid the collision.

According to the seventh embodiment of the present disclosure,autonomous emergency braking may be implemented on the basis of lalongitudinal TTC and a lateral TTC between a host vehicle and athird-party vehicle in a front-view camera system for an ADAS.

According to the eighth embodiment of the present disclosure, dataregarding an ambient situation of a host vehicle may be acquired througha camera system and a rear radar, and the ECU may determine a risk ofcollision between the host vehicle and a nearby vehicle.

According to the eighth embodiment of the present disclosure, when it isdetermined that there is a possibility of collision between the hostvehicle and the nearby vehicle, the ECU may warn a driver of thecollision to avoid the collision. Thus, it is possible to prevent anaccident that may occur when an intersection is entered.

According to a ninth embodiment of the present disclosure, atime-to-collision of a host vehicle and a nearby vehicle may becalculated, and the steering and braking of the host vehicle may becontrolled on the basis of the time-to-collision. Thus, it is possibleto avoid a collision between the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle.

According to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure, prioritiesfor CTA control may be determined through communication between a hostvehicle and nearby vehicles when the host vehicle enters anintersection, and a plurality of vehicles may systematically perform CTAcontrol at the intersection according to the determined CTA priorities.

Also, according to the tenth embodiment of the present disclosure, bydetecting a laterally appearing vehicle or pedestrian and thenperforming CTA control when a host vehicle enters an intersection, it ispossible to prevent a collision.

With the vehicle control apparatus and method according to an eleventhembodiment of the present disclosure, the side of a host vehicle may besensed to determine whether a collision will occur between the hostvehicle and a target vehicle.

Also, when a collision between the host vehicle and the target vehicleis expected to occur, it is possible to prevent a collision betweenvehicles by generating an alert and performing emergency braking on thehost vehicle.

According to the twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure, it ispossible to watch directions, other than a direction that a driver iswatching, by means of a camera system and thus to prevent a collisionbetween a host vehicle and a third-party vehicle. Also, it is possibleto prevent a collision between the host vehicle and the third-partyvehicle by controlling the host vehicle through information acquired bythe camera system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a camerasystem according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which a vehicle is equippedwith the camera system according to the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing components of the vehicle equipped with thecamera system according to the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing components of the camera system accordingto the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4B is a diagram showing components of the camera system accordingto the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a couplingrelationship between a lens barrel and a lens holder according to thefirst embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating active alignment of the lens barrel andthe lens holder according to the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIGS. 7A to 7E are diagrams showing a lens holder 20 according to thefirst embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 8A to 8E are diagrams showing a lens barrel 15 according to thefirst embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a collision prevention system according to asecond embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a method of detecting a target vehicle witha collision risk according to the second embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a method of avoiding a collision with atarget vehicle by controlling the speed and steering of a host vehicleaccording to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the collision avoidance method according tothe second embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing vehicle control according to a thirdembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the order of controlling a vehicleaccording to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating the order of controlling a vehicleaccording to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example in which a slippery road sign isrecognized using a camera system according to a fourth embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example in which an emergency brakingsystem changes an emergency braking start time according to a degree towhich a road is slippery according to the fourth embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an emergency braking method according tothe fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 19A to 19C are views illustrating lateral vehicle controlaccording to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 20A to 20C are views illustrating longitudinal vehicle controlaccording to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating vehicle control according to thefifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22A is a diagram showing an example in which a warning for acollision risk is not issued when a steering wheel is not operated whilea host vehicle is stopped at an intersection according to a sixthembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22B is a diagram showing an example in which a warning for afirst-level collision risk is issued when the steering wheel is operatedwhile a host vehicle is stopped at an intersection according to thesixth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23A is a diagram showing an example in which a warning for asecond-level collision risk is issued when a host vehicle startstraveling at an intersection and is expected to collide with a nearbyvehicle according to the sixth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 23B is a diagram showing an example in which a warning for athird-level collision risk is issued when a host vehicle startstraveling at an intersection and is expected to collide with a nearbyvehicle and the steering wheel is not operated for the purpose ofbraking or collision avoidance according to the sixth embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a host vehicle, a third-party vehicle,and a time-to-collision (TTC) according to a seventh embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating an autonomous emergency braking (AEB)control algorithm according to the seventh embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example in which a host vehiclerecognizes an ambient situation at an intersection according to aneighth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating an example in which a driver iswarned depending on an ambient situation of a host vehicle according tothe eighth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing locations of a host vehicle and a nearbyvehicle at an intersection according to a ninth embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing two-dimensional (2D) coordinates of anearby vehicle with respect to a host vehicle according to the ninthembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart illustrating the order of controlling a hostvehicle according to the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a cross traffic alert (CTA) systemaccording to a tenth embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 32 is a diagram showing controllers controlled for collisionavoidance and a control unit shown in FIG. 31.

FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example in which nearby vehicles aredetected by a camera system and a radar system disposed in a hostvehicle.

FIG. 34 is a diagram showing a method of setting control priorities of aCTA system when a plurality of vehicles enter an intersection.

FIG. 35 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicular controldevice according to an eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 36 is a diagram showing sensing regions of a first informationgeneration unit and a second information generation unit before anintersection is sensed.

FIG. 37 is a diagram showing a change in width of the sensing region ofthe second information generation unit after an intersection is sensed.

FIG. 38 is a diagram showing a change in length of the sensing region ofthe second information generation unit after an intersection is sensed.

FIG. 39 is an operational flowchart illustrating a vehicle controlmethod according to the eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 40A and 40B are diagrams illustrating operation of a drivingassistance system during a left turn according to a twelfth embodimentof the present disclosure.

FIG. 41 is a diagram illustrating operation of the driving assistancesystem during a right turn according to the twelfth embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings so that they can be easilypracticed by those skilled in the art. The present disclosure may,however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construedas being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

To clearly describe the present disclosure, portions irrelevant to thedescription are omitted, and the same or similar elements are denoted bythe same reference numerals.

In this disclosure, when one part (or element, device, etc.) is referredto as being “connected” to another part (or element, device, etc.), itshould be understood that the former can be “directly connected” to thelatter, or “electrically connected” to the latter via an interveningpart (or element, device, etc.). Furthermore, when one part is referredto as “comprising” (or “including” or “having”) other elements, itshould be understood that the part can comprise (or include or have)only those elements or other elements as well as those elements unlessspecifically described otherwise.

It will be understood that when one part is referred to as being “on”another part, it can be directly on another part or intervening partsmay be present therebetween. In contrast, when a part is referred to asbeing “directly on” another part, there are no intervening partstherebetween.

It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third,etc. may be used herein to describe various parts, components, regions,layers and/or sections, but are not limited thereto. These terms areonly used to distinguish one part, component, region, layer, or sectionfrom another part, component, region, layer or section. Thus, a firstpart, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could betermed a second part, component, region, layer, or section withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure.

The technical terms used herein are to simply mention a particularexemplary embodiment and are not meant to limit the present disclosure.An expression used in the singular encompasses the expression of theplural, unless it has a clearly different meaning in the context. In thespecification, it is to be understood that the terms such as“including,” “having,” or the like, are intended to indicate theexistence of specific features, regions, integers, steps, operations,elements, and/or components, and are not intended to preclude thepossibility that one or more other specific features, regions, integers,steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof mayexist or may be added.

Spatially relative terms, such as “below”, “above”, and the like, may beused herein for ease of description to describe one part's relationshipto another part(s) as illustrated in the figures. It will be understoodthat the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass differentmeanings or operations of a device in use in addition to the meaningsdepicted in the drawings. For example, if the device in the figures isturned over, parts described as “below” other parts would then beoriented “above” the other parts. Thus, the exemplary term “below” canencompass both an orientation of above and below. Devices may beotherwise rotated 90 degrees or by other angles and the spatiallyrelative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical orscientific terms, have the same meanings as those generally understoodby those with ordinary knowledge in the field of art to which thepresent disclosure belongs. Such terms as those defined in a generallyused dictionary are to be interpreted to have the meanings equal to thecontextual meanings in the relevant field of art, and are not to beinterpreted to have idealized or excessively formal meanings unlessclearly defined in the present application.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in detail withreference to the accompanying drawings so that they can be easilypracticed by those skilled in the art to which the present disclosurepertains. The example embodiments may, however, be embodied in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as being limited to theembodiments set forth herein.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a camerasystem according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, a camera system 1 includes a lens 10, a lens holder20 in which the lens 10 is to be installed, and an image sensor 31coupled to the lens holder 20 and configured to sense an image of asubject captured by the lens 10. The image sensor 31 is disposed on animage printed circuit board (PCB) 30 and includes an image array sensorcomposed of pixels. For example, the image sensor 31 includes acomplementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) photo-sensor array or acharge-coupled device (CCD) photo-sensor array. Such an image sensor 31is disposed in parallel with the lens 10. Also, the lens 10 and the lensholder 20 may be coupled to each other through active alignment.

Also, the camera system 1 includes a main PCB 40, and an image processor41 and a camera micro-control unit (MCU) 42 are disposed on the main PCB40. The image processor 41 may receive image data from the image sensor31. To this end, the image processor 41 and the image sensor 31 may beconnected through a connector (not shown). For example, the connectormay be produced as a flexible PCB (FPCB) in order to maximize internalspace utilization of the camera system. Through such a connector, anelectric signal, power, a control signal, and the like may betransmitted or received. For example, a communication scheme between theimage processor 41 and the image sensor 31 may be Inter-IntegratedCircuit (I2C). The camera MCU 42 and the image processor 41 maycommunicate with each other in a communication scheme, such as UniversalAsynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) or Serial Peripheral Interface(SPI).

The camera MCU 42 may receive image data processed by the imageprocessor 41 and transfer the image data to an electrical control unit(ECU) (not shown) located in a vehicle. For example, a communicationscheme between the camera MCU 42 and the ECU of the vehicle may beChassis Controller Area Network (CAN). Also, the camera MCU 42 receivesdata processed by the image processor 41. The data includes, forexample, data regarding vehicles ahead, data regarding lanes ahead, dataregarding cyclists ahead, data regarding traffic signs, data regardingActive High Beam Control (AHBC), data regarding wheel detection (e.g.,data for quickly recognizing a close cut-in vehicle entering the fieldof view (FOV) of a camera through vehicle wheel recognition), dataregarding traffic lights, data regarding road marks (e.g., an arrow on aroad), data regarding VD at any angle (data for recognizing a vehicleahead according to a previous traveling direction or angle of thevehicle), data regarding road profile (e.g., data for recognizing a roadshape ahead (a curve, a speed bump, or a hole) and thus enhancing ridequality through suspension control), data regarding semantic free space(e.g., boundary labeling), data regarding general objects (a vehicle toa side, or the like), data regarding advanced path planning (e.g., datafor predicting an expected vehicle traveling route through deep learningusing surrounding environments even on lane-free or polluted roads),data regarding odometry (e.g., data for recognizing a driving roadlandmark and fusing the driving road landmark with GPS recognitioninformation), and the like.

Also, the camera system 1 includes a housing 50, and the housing 50includes an upper housing 52 and a lower housing 54. In detail, apre-determined accommodation space is formed in the housing 50 composedof the upper housing 52 and the lower housing 54 coupled to each other,and the lens 10, the lens holder 20, the image PCB 30, and the main PCB40 are accommodated in the accommodation space.

When the camera system 1 is manufactured, the lens 10 may be installedin the lens holder 20, and then the lens holder 20 may be coupled to theimage PCB 30. For example, the lens holder 20 and the image PCB 30 maybe coupled through a screw 23.

Subsequently, the upper housing 52 may be coupled to the lens holder 20while the lens holder 20 and the image PCB 30 are coupled to each other.In this case, the upper housing 52 and the lens holder 20 may be coupledthrough a screw 25.

The number of lenses 10 used may be changed depending on the type of thecamera system 1, the number of pixels of the image sensor, orrequirements of a function implemented by the camera system 1. Forexample, when a single lens 10 is used, the lens may be 52 deg when 1.3MP is required, or for example, 100 deg when 1.7 MP is required.Alternatively, two lenses 10 may be used. Alternatively, when threelenses 10 are used, three image sensors 31 are required, and the lensesmay be 28 deg, 52 deg, and 150 deg or 50 deg, 100 deg, and 150 deg,

The type of the camera system 1 is determined the number or types ofadvanced driving assistance system (ADAS) functions supported by thecamera system 1. For example, when only some of the ADAS functions aresupported (when the data processed by the image processor 41 is dataregarding vehicles ahead, data regarding lanes ahead, data regardingcyclists ahead, data regarding traffic signs, data regarding AHBC, dataregarding wheel detection (e.g., data for quickly recognizing a closecut-in vehicle entering the FOV of a camera through vehicle wheelrecognition), data regarding traffic lights, or data regarding roadmarks (e.g., an arrow on a road)), a single lens may be used. When morefunctions are supported (in addition to the above-described example,when the data processed by the image processor 41 is data regarding VDat any angle (data for recognizing a vehicle ahead according to aprevious traveling direction or angle of the vehicle), data regardingroad profile (e.g., data for recognizing a road shape ahead (a curve, aspeed bump, or a hole) and thus enhancing ride quality throughsuspension control), data regarding semantic free space (e.g., boundarylabeling), data regarding general objects (a vehicle to a side, or thelike), data regarding advanced path planning (e.g., data for predictingan expected vehicle traveling route through deep learning usingsurrounding environments even on lane-free or polluted roads), or dataregarding odometry (e.g., data for recognizing a driving road landmarkand fusing the driving road landmark with GPS recognition information)),and the like, three lenses may be used.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example in which a vehicle is equippedwith the camera system 1 according to the first embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

As shown in FIG. 2, the camera system 1 may be installed below awindshield 220 or near a rear-view mirror 210 in a vehicle. Thus, thecamera system 1 is used to capture a field of view ahead of the vehicleand is used to recognize an object present within the field of viewahead. Also, in case of rain or dust, it is preferable that the camerasystem be installed in the vehicle according to a region cleaned by awindshield wiper operating outside the windshield 220. The locationwhere the camera system 1 is installed is not limited thereto. Thecamera system 1 may be installed in a different location in order tocapture a region ahead of, to a side of, and behind the vehicle.

Meanwhile, a radar apparatus (not shown), which is a sensor apparatusthat uses electromagnetic waves to measure the distance, velocity, andangle of an object, may be typically located at a front grille of thevehicle to cover even a front lower part of the vehicle. The reason whythe radar apparatus is disposed at the front grill, that is, outside thevehicle, in other words, the reason why the radar apparatus is notallowed to transmit and receive signals through the windshield 220 ofthe vehicle is a reduction in sensitivity when electromagnetic wavespass through glass. According to the present disclosure, theelectromagnetic waves may be prevented from passing through thewindshield 220 although the radar apparatus is located inside thevehicle, in particular, below the windshield inside the vehicle. To thisend, the radar apparatus is configured to transmit and receiveelectromagnetic waves through an opening provided in an upper portion ofthe windshield 220. Also, a cover is disposed at a locationcorresponding to the opening for the radar apparatus. The cover is toprevent loss (e.g., an inflow of air, or the like) due to the opening.Also, it is preferable that the cover be made of a material capable ofeasily transmitting electromagnetic waves of frequencies the radarapparatus uses. As a result, the radar apparatus is located inside thevehicle, but electromagnetic waves are transmitted and received throughthe opening provided in the windshield 220. The cover corresponding tothe opening is provided in order to prevent the loss due to the opening,and the electromagnetic waves are transmitted and received through thecover. The radar apparatus may use beam aiming, beam selection, digitalbeam forming, and digital beam steering. Also, the radar apparatus mayinclude an array antenna or a phased array antenna.

The above-described camera system 1 and the radar apparatus (not shown)may interoperate with each other in order to improve performance tosense objects ahead. For example, the image processor 41 and a radarprocessor (not shown) may interoperate with each other to enlarge orfocus an object of interest ahead. When the radar apparatus and thefront-view camera interoperate with each other, the image sensor 31 andthe radar apparatus may be disposed on the same substrate (e.g., theimage PCB 30).

Also, an apparatus or system for sensing an object within a field ofview ahead, such as the camera system 1 or the radar apparatus (notshown), may be used for the ADAS technology such as Adaptive CruiseControl (ACC). Also, the apparatus or system may be used to recognize apotential dangerous situation ahead. For example, the apparatus orsystem may be used to recognize another vehicle, a person, and an animalahead. Also, the apparatus or system for sensing an object within afield of view ahead, such as the camera system 1 or radar apparatus (notshown) may be used in a lane departure warning system, an objectdetection system, a traffic sign recognition system, a lane keepingassistance system a lane change assistance system, a blind spot warningsystem, an automatic headlamp control system, a collision preventionsystem, or the like.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing components of the vehicle equipped with thecamera system 1 according to the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

The components of the vehicle may be classified into MCU level, ECUlevel, and controller level.

The MCU level includes a lidar MCU, a radar MCU, a GPS MCU, a navigationMCU, and a V2X MCU, as well as a camera MCU 42. Each of the MCUsbelonging to the MCU level controls a sensing apparatus connected to acorresponding MCU or an apparatus (e.g., a processor) connected to thesensing apparatus and receives data from the sensing apparatus or theapparatus connected to the sensing apparatus.

The camera MCU 42 will be described as an example. The image sensor 31senses an image of a subject captured through the lens 10, the imageprocessor 41 receives the data from the image sensor 31 and processesthe received data, and the camera MCU 42 receives the data from theimage processor 41. The camera MCU 42 controls the image sensor 31 andthe image processor 41, and the control includes, for example, powersupply control, reset control, clock (CLK) control, data communicationcontrol, power control, memory control, and the like. The imageprocessor 41 may process data sensed and output by the image sensor 31,and the processing includes a process of enlarging a sensed object aheador a process of focusing on a region of the object within the entireregion of view.

The lidar MCU 311 will be described as an example. The lidar MCU 311 isconnected to a lidar apparatus, which is a kind of sensor. The lidarapparatus may be composed of a laser transmission module, a laserdetection module, a signal collection and processing module, and a datatransmission and reception module. Laser light sources with wavelengthsof 250 nm to 11 μm or variable wavelengths are used. Also, the lidarapparatus is classified into a time of fight (TOF) scheme and a phaseshift scheme according to a signal modulation scheme. The lidar MCU 311controls the lidar apparatus and another apparatus (e.g., a lidarprocessor (not shown) for processing a lidar sensing output) connectedto the lidar apparatus. The control includes, for example, power supplycontrol, reset control, clock (CLK) control, data communication control,memory control, or the like. Meanwhile, the lidar apparatus is used tosense a region ahead of the vehicle. The lidar apparatus is located at afront inner side of the vehicle, in particular, below the windshield 220to transmit and receive laser light through the windshield 220.

The radar MCU 312 will be described as an example. The radar MCU 312 isconnected to a radar apparatus, which is a kind of sensor. The radarapparatus is a sensor apparatus that uses electromagnetic waves tomeasure the distance, speed, or angle of an object. The radar apparatusmay be used to sense objects ahead within a horizontal angle of 30degrees and a distance of 150 meters by Frequency Modulation CarrierWave (FMCW) or Pulse Carrier. The radar MCU 312 controls the radarapparatus and another apparatus (e.g., a radar processor (not shown) forprocessing a radar sensing output) connected to the radar apparatus. Thecontrol includes, for example, power supply control, reset control,clock (CLK) control, data communication control, memory control, or thelike. Meanwhile, the radar apparatus typically uses a 77-GHz band radaror other appropriate frequency bands to sense a region ahead of thevehicle. The information acquired from the radar apparatus may be usedfor the ADAS technology such as ACC. Also, the radar processor mayprocess data sensed and output by the radar apparatus. The processingincludes a process of enlarging a sensed object ahead or a process offocusing on a region of the object within the entire region of view.

The GPS MCU 313 will be described as an example. The GPS MCU 313 isconnected to a GPS apparatus, which is a kind of sensor. The GPSapparatus is an apparatus for measuring the location, speed, and time ofa vehicle through communication with a satellite. In detail, the GPSapparatus is an apparatus for measuring a delay time of radio wavesemitted from a satellite and obtaining a current location from adistance from an obit. The GPS MCU 313 controls the GPS apparatus andanother apparatus (e.g., a GPS processor (not shown) for processing aGPS sensing output) connected to the GPS apparatus. The controlincludes, for example, power supply control, reset control, clock (CLK)control, data communication control, memory control, or the like.

The navigation MCU 314 will be described as an example. The navigationMCU 314 is connected to a navigation apparatus, which is a kind ofsensor. The navigation apparatus is an apparatus for displaying mapinformation through a display apparatus installed at a front side insidethe vehicle. In detail, the map information is stored in a memoryapparatus, and represents the current location of the vehicle measuredthrough the GPS apparatus in map data. The navigation MCU 314 controlsthe navigation apparatus and another apparatus (e.g., a navigationprocessor (not shown) for processing a navigation sensing output)connected to the navigation apparatus. The control includes, forexample, power supply control, reset control, clock (CLK) control, datacommunication control, memory control, or the like.

The V2X MCU 315 will be described as an example. The V2X MCU 315 isconnected to a V2X apparatus, which is a kind of sensor. In detail, theV2X apparatus is an apparatus for performing vehicle-to-vehiclecommunication (V2V communication), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I)communication, or vehicle-to-mobile (V2M) communication. The V2X MCU 315controls the V2X apparatus and another apparatus (e.g., a V2X processor(not shown) for processing a V2X sensing output) connected to the V2Xapparatus. The control includes, for example, power supply control,reset control, clock (CLK) control, data communication control, memorycontrol, or the like.

An electrical control unit (ECU) 320 belonging to the ECU level is anapparatus for integrally controlling a plurality of electronicapparatuses used in the vehicle. For example, the ECU 320 may controlall of the MCUs belonging to the MCU level and controllers belonging tothe controller level. The ECU 320 receives the sensing data from theMCUs, generates a control command for controlling a controller accordingto a situation, and transmits the control command to the controller. Inthis specification, for convenience of description, the ECU level isdescribed as a level higher than the MCU level. However, one of the MCUsbelonging to the MCU level may serve as an ECU, and two of the MCUs mayserve as an ECU in combination.

In the controller level, there are a driver warning controller 331, ahead lamp controller 332, a vehicle posture controller 333, a steeringcontroller 334, an engine controller 335, a suspension controller 336, abrake controller 337, and the like. The controller controls thecomponents of the vehicle on the basis of the control commands receivedfrom the MCUs in the MCU level or the ECU 320.

The driver warning controller 331 will be described as an example. Thedriver warning controller 331 generates an audio warning signal, a videowarning signal, or a haptic warning signal in order to warn a driver ofa specific dangerous situation. For example, the driver warningcontroller 331 may use a vehicle sound system to output warning sounds.Alternatively, in order to display a warning message, the driver warningcontroller 331 may output a warning message through a head-up display(HUD) or a side mirror display. Alternatively, in order to generate awarning vibration, the driver warning controller 331 may operate avibration motor mounted on a steering wheel.

The head lamp controller 332 will be described as an example. The headlamp controller 332 is located at a front side of the vehicle to controla head lamp for securing a driver's field of view ahead of the vehicleat night. For example, the head lamp controller 332 may perform highbeam control, low beam control, left and right auxiliary light control,adaptive head lamp control, or the like.

The vehicle posture controller 333 will be described as an example. Thevehicle posture controller 333 is referred to as vehicle dynamic control(VDC) or electrical stability control (ESP), and performs control tocorrect the vehicle's behavior through electronic equipment when thevehicle's behavior suddenly becomes unstable due to a road condition ora driver's urgent steering wheel operation. For example, sensors such asa wheel speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, and acylinder pressure sensor sense a steering wheel operation. When therunning direction of the steering wheel does not match that of thewheels, the vehicle posture controller 333 performs control to dispersethe braking force of each wheel using an anti-lock braking system (ABS)or the like.

The steering controller 334 will be described as an example. Thesteering controller 334 controls an electronic power steering system(MPDS) for driving the steering wheel. For example, when the vehicle isexpected to collide, the steering controller 334 controls the steeringof the vehicle such that the collision may be avoided or such thatdamage may be minimized.

The engine controller 335 will be described as an example. The enginecontroller 335 serves to control elements such as an injector, athrottle, a spark plug, or the like according to control commands whenthe ECU 320 receives data from an oxygen sensor, an air quantity sensor,and a manifold absolute pressure sensor.

The suspension controller 336 will be described as an example. Thesuspension controller 336 is an apparatus for performing motor-basedactive suspension control. In detail, by variably controlling thedamping force of a shock absorber, the suspension controller 336provides smooth ride quality during normal running and provides hardride quality during high-speed running or upon posture changes. Thus, itis possible to ensure ride comfort and driving stability. Also, thesuspension controller 336 may perform vehicle height control, posturecontrol, or the like as well as the damping force control.

The brake controller 337 will be described as an example. The brakecontroller 337 controls whether to operate the brake of the vehicle andcontrols the pedal effort of the brake. For example, when a forwardcollision is probable, the brake controller 337 may perform control sothat emergency braking is automatically activated according to a controlcommand of the ECU 320 irrespective of whether the driver operates thebrake.

As described above with reference to the drawings, the MCU, ECU, andcontroller have been described as independent elements. However, itshould be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto.Two or more MCUs may be integrated into a single MCU and mayinteroperate with each other. Two or more MCUs and an ECU may beintegrated as a single apparatus. Two or more controllers may beintegrated into a single controller and may interoperate with eachother. Two or more controllers and an ECU may be integrated as a singleapparatus.

For example, the radar processor processes an output of the radarapparatus, and the image processor 41 processes an output of the imagesensor 31. The output of the radar apparatus and the output of the imagesensor 31 may interoperate with a single processor (e.g., the radarprocessor, the image processor 41, an integrated processor, or the ECU320). For example, the radar processor processes data sensed and outputby the radar apparatus. Based on information regarding an object ahead,which is derived from a result of the processing, the image processor 41may perform a process of enlarging or focusing on data sensed and outputby the image sensor 31. On the other hand, the image processor 41processes the data sensed and output by the image sensor 31. Based oninformation regarding an object ahead, which is derived from a result ofthe processing, the radar processor may perform a process of enlargingor focusing on data sensed and output by the radar apparatus. To thisend, the radar MCU may control the radar apparatus to perform beamaiming or beam selection. Alternatively, the radar processor may performdigital beam forming or digital beam steering in an array antenna or aphased array antenna system. In this way, when the radar apparatus andthe front-view camera interoperate with each other, the image sensor 31and the radar apparatus may be disposed on the same substrate (e.g., theimage PCB 30).

FIG. 4A is a diagram showing components of the camera system 1 accordingto the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the camera system 1 includes a lens 10, an imagesensor 31, an image processor 41, and a camera MCU 42.

Also, the camera system 1 includes a first converter unit 421 configuredto receive an ignition voltage 410 and convert the ignition voltage 410into a first voltage 411, a second voltage 412, and a third voltage 413,a second converter unit 422 configured to receive the third voltage 413and convert the third voltage 413 into a fourth voltage 414, and aregulator unit 423 configured to receive the first voltage 411 andconvert the first voltage 411 into a fifth voltage 415 and a sixthvoltage 416. As shown in FIG. 4A, the first converter unit 421 may becomposed of a single 3ch DC-DC converter. However, the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto, and the first converter unit 421 maybe composed of a 1ch DC-DC converter and a 2ch DC-DC converter or may becomposed of three 1 ch DC-DC converters. As shown in FIG. 4A, theregulator unit 423 may be composed of a 2ch low-dropout (LDO). However,the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the regulator unit423 may be composed of two 1ch LDOs. The reason why the regulator unit423 is implemented with an LDO is that an electric current levelrequired by the image sensor 31 is not high.

The ignition voltage 410, which is a voltage generated when the driverstarts the vehicle by turning a vehicle key or pushing a start button,may be generally 14 V. The first voltage 411, which is a voltage intowhich the first converter unit 421 receives and converts the ignitionvoltage 410, may be 3.3 V. The first voltage 411 may be input to thecamera MCU 42 and may be used as power for operating the camera MCU 42.Also, the first voltage 411 may be used as power for operating amonitoring module 441 and a first memory 431. Also, the first voltage411 may be used as power for operating the image processor 41. Thereason why the same operating power, that is, the first voltage 411 isapplied to the camera MCU 42 and the image processor 41 is to allow thetwo communication components to have the same communication level (IOvoltage). The second voltage 412, which is a voltage into which thefirst converter unit 421 receives and converts the ignition voltage 410,may be 1.8 V. Meanwhile, as described below, the fifth voltage (e.g.,1.8 V) is applied to the image sensor 31, and this voltage is the sameas the second voltage. The reason why the second voltage 412 applied tothe image processor 41 is the same as the fifth voltage 415 applied tothe image sensor 31 is to allow the image processor 41 and the imagesensor 31 to have the same communication level (IO voltage). The thirdvoltage 413, which is a voltage into which the first converter unit 421receives and converts the ignition voltage 410, may be 5 V. The thirdvoltage 413 may be applied to the second converter unit 422, and thesecond converter unit 422 may output the fourth voltage 414. The fourthvoltage 414 is applied to the image processor 41 and is operable as corepower of the image processor 41. For example, the fourth voltage 414 maybe 1.2 V. Meanwhile, the reason why the first converter unit 421 outputsthe third voltage 413 and the second converter unit 422, which receivesthe third voltage 413, outputs the fourth voltage 414 even if the firstconverter unit 421 is capable of directly outputting the fourth voltage414, is to satisfy an allowable electric current required by the imageprocessor 41. In addition, the reason is to use the third voltage 413 aspower for operating other components (e.g., HS-CAN TRx).

The first voltage 411 is applied to the regulator unit 423, and theregulator unit 423 outputs the fifth voltage 415 and the sixth voltage416. The fifth voltage 415 may be 1.8 V, and the sixth voltage 416 maybe 2.8 V. The fifth voltage 415 is applied to the image sensor 31 toallow the image sensor 31 and the image processor 41 to have the samecommunication level. The sixth voltage 416 is applied to the imagesensor 31 and is operable as core power of the image sensor 31. As aresult, the camera MCU 42 and the image processor 41 have the samecommunication level set to the first voltage 411, and the imageprocessor 41 and the image sensor 31 have communication levels set tothe second voltage 412 and the fifth voltage 415 equal to the secondvoltage 412.

Also, the camera system 1 includes a first memory 431 connected to thecamera MCU 42 and configured to receive the first voltage 411, a secondmemory 432 connected to the image processor 41, a third memory 433connected to the image processor 41, and a fourth memory 434 connectedto the image processor 41. The first memory 431 may be an electricallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), the second memory 432may be a low power double-data-rate 2 (LPDDR2), the third memory 433 maybe an LPDDR2, and the fourth memory 434 may be a flash memory. The firstmemory 431 is connected to the camera MCU 42 to store MCU logic data (analgorithm for controlling a controller) and MCU basic software (astartup algorithm for driving the image processor 41, the image sensor31, and the like). The second memory 432 is connected to the imageprocessor 41 and serves to execute a function implementation algorithmstored in the fourth memory 434 according to a command from the imageprocessor 41. The third memory 433 is connected to the image processor41 and serves to execute the function implementation algorithm stored inthe fourth memory 434 according to a command from the image processor41. The fourth memory 434 is connected to the image processor 41 tostore algorithm data (e.g., LD, PD, VD, TSR, or the like) used by theimage processor 41 to implement functions. The second memory 432 and thethird memory 433 may have capacity determined depending on the number offunctions supported by the camera system 1. For example, when only someof the functions are supported (when the data processed by the imageprocessor 41 is data regarding vehicles ahead, data regarding lanesahead, data regarding cyclists ahead, data regarding traffic signs, dataregarding AHBC, data regarding wheel detection (e.g., data for quicklyrecognizing a close cut-in vehicle entering the FOV of a camera throughvehicle wheel recognition), data regarding traffic lights, or dataregarding road marks (e.g., an arrow on a road)), the second memory 432and the third memory 433 may be each 128 MB. When more functions aresupported (in addition to the above-described example, when the dataprocessed by the image processor 41 is data regarding VD at any angle(data for recognizing a vehicle ahead according to a previous travelingdirection or angle of the vehicle), data regarding road profile (e.g.,data for recognizing a road shape ahead (a curve, a speed bump, or ahole) and thus enhancing ride quality through suspension control), dataregarding semantic free space (e.g., boundary labeling), data regardinggeneral objects (a vehicle to a side, or the like), data regardingadvanced path planning (e.g., data for predicting an expected vehicletraveling route through deep learning using surrounding environmentseven on lane-free or polluted roads), or data regarding odometry (e.g.,data for recognizing a driving road landmark and fusing the driving roadlandmark with GPS recognition information)), the second memory 432 andthe third memory 433 may be each 256 MB. Also, the second memory 432 andthe third memory 433 may be integrated into a single memory depending onthe number of lenses 10. When only one lens 10 is used, a total of twomemories, i.e., the second memory 432 and the third memory 433 may beused (e.g., 2×218 MB). When two lenses 10 are used, a single memoryhaving a larger capacity than those of the two memories may be used(e.g., 1×512 MB). Also, when three lenses 10 are used, two memorieshaving large capacity may be used (e.g., 2×512 MB). That is, the secondmemory 432 and the third memory 433 may be changed in number andcapacity depending on the number of lenses.

Also, the camera system 1 includes a monitoring module 441 connected tothe camera MCU 42, a high-speed CAN transceiver (HS-CAN_TRx) 442connected to the camera MCU 42 to perform chassis CAN communication, ahigh-speed CAN transceiver 443 connected to the camera MCU 42 to performlocal CAN communication, an external input unit 444 connected to thecamera MCU 42 to receive a windshield wiper operation input, an externalinput unit 445 connected to the camera MCU 42 to receive an on/offswitching input, and an external output unit 446 connected to the cameraMCU 42 to output a light-emitting diode (LED) signal. The reason why thecamera MCU 42 receives a windshield wiper operation input is that when awindshield wiper ON signal is received, recognition of a region aheadthrough the camera system 1 is degraded due to rain and thus there is aneed to turn off the camera MCU 42 or switch off a specific function ofthe camera MCU 42.

FIG. 4B is a diagram showing components of the camera system 1 accordingto the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the camera system 1 may include a lens 10, animage sensor 31, an image processor 41, and a camera MCU 42.

Also, the camera system 1 includes a first converter unit 421 configuredto receive an ignition voltage 510 and covert the ignition voltage 510into a first voltage 511, a second voltage 512, a third voltage 513, andthe fourth voltage 514 and a regulator unit 523 configured to receivethe first voltage 511 and convert the first voltage 511 into a fifthvoltage 515, a sixth voltage 516, and a seventh voltage 517. As shown inFIG. 4B, the first converter unit 521 may be composed of a single 4chDC-DC converter. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto,and the first converter unit 521 may be composed of a 1ch DC-DCconverter and a 3ch DC-DC converter, may be composed of two 2ch DC-DCconverters, or may be composed of four 1ch DC-DC converters.Alternatively, the first converter unit 521 may be composed of a 4chpower management integrated circuit (PMIC). By using a PMIC, it isadvantageously possible to mount a plurality of buck regulators, mount aboost regulator, support a universal serial bus (USB) function, andprovide an I2C function for power setting. As shown in FIG. 4B, theregulator unit 523 may be composed of a 3ch LDO. However, the presentdisclosure is not limited thereto, and the regulator unit 523 may becomposed of three 1ch LDOs. The reason why the regulator unit 523 isimplemented with an LDO is that an electric current level required bythe image sensor 31 is not high.

The ignition voltage 510, which is a voltage generated when the driverstarts the vehicle by turning the vehicle key or pushing the startbutton, may be generally 14 V. The first voltage 511, which is a voltageinto which the first converter unit 521 receives and converts theignition voltage 510, may be 3.3 V. The first voltage 511 may be inputto the camera MCU 42 and may be used as power for operating the cameraMCU 42. Also, the first voltage 511 may be used as power for operating amonitoring module 541 and a first memory 531. Also, the first voltage511 may be used as power for operating the image processor 41. Thereason why the same operating power, that is, the first voltage 511 isapplied to the camera MCU 42 and the image processor 41 is to allow thetwo communication components to have the same communication level (IOvoltage). The second voltage 512, which is a voltage into which thefirst converter unit 521 receives and converts the ignition voltage 510,may be 1.8 V. As described below, the fifth voltage 515 (e.g., 1.8 V) isapplied to the image sensor 31, and this voltage is the same as thesecond voltage 512. The reason why the second voltage 512 applied to theimage processor 41 is the same as the fifth voltage 515 applied to theimage sensor 31 is to allow the image processor 41 and the image sensor31 to have the same communication level (IO voltage). The third voltage513, which is a voltage into which the first converter unit 521 receivesand converts the ignition voltage 510 and which the first converter unit521 outputs, may be 5 V. The third voltage 513 may be used as power fordriving components (e.g., an S-CAN communication module, a C-CANcommunication module, a high side driver, and the like) used by thecamera MCU 42 to perform communication. The fourth voltage 514, which isa voltage into which the first converter unit 521 receives and convertsthe ignition voltage 510 and which the first converter unit 521 outputs,may be 2.8V. The fourth voltage 514 may be converted into 1.1 V througha converter and then may be applied to the image processor 41. Thevoltage of 1.1 V operates as core power of the image processor 41. Thereason why the first converter unit 521 lowers the fourth voltage 514(2.8 V) to the core power (1.1 V) of the image processor through aseparate converter even if the first converter unit 521 can directlyoutput the core power (1.1 V) is to satisfy an allowable electriccurrent required by the image processor 41.

The first voltage 511 is applied to the regulator unit 523, and theregulator unit 523 outputs the fifth voltage 515, the sixth voltage 516,and the seventh voltage 517. The fifth voltage 515 may be 1.8 V, thesixth voltage 516 may be 2.8 V, and the seventh voltage 517 may be 1.2V. The fifth voltage 515 is applied to the image sensor 31 and isoperable to allow the image sensor 31 and the image processor 41 to havethe same communication level. The sixth voltage 516 is applied to theimage sensor 31 and is operable as core power of the image sensor 31. Asa result, the camera MCU 42 and the image processor 41 have the samecommunication level set to the first voltage 511, and the imageprocessor 41 and the image sensor 31 have communication levels set tothe second voltage 512 and the fifth voltage 515 equal to the secondvoltage 412.

Also, the camera system 1 includes a first memory 531 connected to thecamera MCU 42 and configured to receive the first voltage 511, a secondmemory 532 connected to the image processor 41, and a third memory 533connected to the image processor 41. The first memory 531 may be anEEPROM, the second memory 532 may be a low power double-data-rate 4(LPDDR4), and the third memory 533 may a flash memory. The first memory531 is connected to the camera MCU 42 to store MCU logic data (analgorithm for controlling a controller) and MCU basic software (astartup algorithm for driving the image processor 41, the image sensor31, and the like). The second memory 532 is connected to the imageprocessor 41 and serves to execute a function implementation algorithmstored in the third memory 533 according to a command from the imageprocessor 41. The third memory 533 is connected to the image processor41 to store algorithm data (e.g., LD, PD, VD, TSR, or the like) used bythe image processor 41 to implement functions. The second memory 532 mayhave capacity determined depending on the number of functions supportedby the camera system 1. For example, when only some of the functions aresupported (when the data processed by the image processor 41 is dataregarding vehicles ahead, data regarding lanes ahead, data regardingcyclists ahead, data regarding traffic signs, data regarding AHBC, dataregarding wheel detection (e.g., data for quickly recognizing a closecut-in vehicle entering the FOV of a camera through vehicle wheelrecognition), data regarding traffic lights, or data regarding roadmarks (e.g., an arrow on a road)), the second memory 532 may be 128 MB.When more functions are supported (in addition to the above-describedexample, when the data processed by the image processor 41 is dataregarding VD at any angle (data for recognizing a vehicle aheadaccording to a previous traveling direction or angle of the vehicle),data regarding road profile (e.g., data for recognizing a road shapeahead (a curve, a speed bump, or a hole) and thus enhancing ride qualitythrough suspension control), data regarding semantic free space (e.g.,boundary labeling), data regarding general objects (a vehicle to a side,or the like), data regarding advanced path planning (e.g., data forpredicting an expected vehicle traveling route through deep learningusing surrounding environments even on lane-free or polluted roads), ordata regarding odometry (e.g., data for recognizing a driving roadlandmark and fusing the driving road landmark with GPS recognitioninformation)), the second memory 432 may be 256 MB.

Also, the camera system 1 includes a monitoring module 541 connected tothe camera MCU 42, a high-speed CAN transceiver (HS-CAN_TRx) 542connected to the camera MCU 42 to perform chassis CAN communication, ahigh-speed CAN transceiver 543 connected to the camera MCU 42 to performlocal CAN communication, a high side driver 544 connected to the cameraMCU 42 to output an LED signal, and an external input unit 545 connectedto the camera MCU 42 to receive an on/off switching input. Also, thecamera system 1 may include an external input receiver (not shown)connected to the camera MCU 42 to receive a wire input. The reason whythe camera MCU 42 receives a windshield wiper operation input is thatwhen a windshield wiper ON signal is received, recognition of a regionahead through the camera system 1 is degraded due to rain and thus thereis a need to turn off the camera MCU 42 or switch off a specificfunction of the camera MCU 42.

The above-described camera system 1 may be used to implement at leastone of the following functions: Road Boundary Departure PreventionSystems (RBDPS), Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control Systems (CACC),Vehicle/roadway warning systems, Partially Automated Parking Systems(PAPS), Partially Automated Lane Change Systems (PALS), CooperativeForward Vehicle Emergency Brake Warning Systems (C-FVBWS), LaneDeparture Warning Systems (LDWS), Pedestrian Detection and CollisionMitigation Systems (PDCMS), Curve Speed Warning Systems (CSWS), LaneKeeping Assistance Systems (LKAS), Adaptive Cruise Control systems(ACC), Forward Vehicle Collision Warning Systems (FVCWS), ManeuveringAids for Low Speed Operation systems (MALSO), Lane Change Decision AidSystems (LCDAS), Low Speed Following systems (LSF), Full Speed RangeAdaptive cruise control systems (FSRA), Forward Vehicle CollisionMitigation Systems (FVCMS), Extended Range Backing Aids systems (ERBA),Cooperative Intersection Signal Information and Violation WarningSystems (CIWS), and Traffic Impediment Warning Systems (TIWS).

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a couplingrelationship between a lens barrel and a lens holder according to thefirst embodiment of the present disclosure.

According to the present disclosure, the lens 10 is inserted into a lensbarrel 15, and the lens barrel 15 includes a flange 15-1. The lensbarrel 15 and the lens holder 20 are coupled to each other by a body ofthe lens barrel 15 including the lens 10 and the flange 15-1 beinginserted into the lens holder 20. Also, the lens barrel 15 and the lensholder 20 may be coupled to each other through active alignment. Thiswill be described below with reference to FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating active alignment of the lens barrel andthe lens holder according to the first embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

The active alignment is used when the lens barrel 15 is coupled to thelens holder 20. In this case, the active alignment refers to anoperation of placing an adhesive material 600 between the flange 15-1 ofthe lens barrel 15 and an upper surface 25 of the lens holder 20 andchanging the location of the lens barrel 15 horizontally or verticallyto focus an object recognized through the image sensor 31. As arepresentative example, epoxy that is deformable before hardening andthat has strong adhesion after hardening may be used as the adhesivematerial 600.

According to one scheme, a lower surface 15-2 of the flange 15-1 and theupper surface 25 of the lens holder 20, which are to be in contact withthe adhesive material 600, may be flat. According to such a scheme,there is no problem in attaching the lens barrel 15 and the lens holder20. However, when an impact occurs in the camera or when an extremesituation occurs in terms of temperature, the adhesive strength of theadhesive material 600 is degraded, and the lens barrel 15 and the lensholder 20 are separated from each other.

FIGS. 7A to 7E are diagrams showing the lens holder 20 according to thefirst embodiment of the present disclosure. In detail, FIG. 7A is aperspective view of the lens holder 20, and FIGS. 7B to 7E are top viewsof the lens holder 20, which show the upper surface 25 of the lensholder 20. As shown in FIGS. 7B to 7E, a groove 27 may be formed on theupper surface 25 of the lens holder 20. The groove 27 may be a singlecircular groove (FIG. 7B), a dual circular groove (FIG. 7C), a crosslattice groove (FIG. 7D), or a zigzag groove (FIG. 7E). Such a groove 27may be formed using a laser. By the groove 27 increasing the surfaceroughness of the upper surface 25 of the lens holder 20, it is possibleto maximize an area brought into contact with the adhesive material 600and thus also to maximize the adhesive strength.

FIGS. 8A to 8E are diagrams showing the lens barrel 15 according to thefirst embodiment of the present disclosure. In detail, FIG. 8A is aperspective view of the lens barrel 15, and FIGS. 8B to 8E are bottomviews of the lens barrel 15, which show a lower surface 15-2 of theflange 15-1 of the lens barrel 15. As shown in FIGS. 8B to 8E, a groove15-3 may be formed on the lower surface 15-2 of the flange 15-1 of thelens barrel 15. The groove 15-3 may be a single circular groove (FIG.8B), a dual circular groove (FIG. 8C), a cross lattice groove (FIG. 8D),or a zigzag groove (FIG. 8E). Such a groove 15-3 may be formed using alaser. By the groove 15-3 increasing the surface roughness of the lowersurface 15-2 of the flange 15-1 of the lens barrel 15, it is possible tomaximize an area brought into contact with the adhesive material 600 andthus also to maximize the adhesive strength.

Second Embodiment

For autonomous driving beyond driving assistance, collision avoidancebetween a host vehicle and nearby vehicles should be guaranteed. Anemergency braking system may calculate a relative speed and a relativeacceleration of the host vehicle with respect to each forward collisionrisk factor, check the time-to-collision, and perform braking control onthe host vehicle to avoid the collision. However, in order to avoid acollision with a vehicle ahead, only a longitudinal control (e.g.,acceleration or deceleration control in the longitudinal direction oftravel of the vehicle) has been performed, and thus when a dangeroussituation occurs, there is a limitation on avoidance of the collisionwith the vehicle ahead.

The second embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a camerasystem for an ADAS and a collision prevention system and method whichare capable of determining a risk of collision with a nearby vehicle,detecting a target vehicle with a collision risk, controlling the speedand steering of the host vehicle, and avoiding the collision with thetarget vehicle.

The second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described belowwith reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a collision prevention system according to asecond embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 9, the collision prevention system according to thesecond embodiment of the present disclosure includes a camera system 1,a radar system 2-2, an ECU 2-320 (e.g., a controller including at leastone microprocessor), a vehicle posture controller 2-333, a steeringcontroller 2-334, an engine controller 2-335, a suspension controller2-336, and a brake controller 2-337. Each of the controllers 2-222,2-334, 2-335, 2-336, and 2-337 controls a corresponding component of thevehicle on the basis of a control command received from the ECU 2-320.

The camera system 1 includes one or more cameras each with at least oneimage sensor, an image processor 41, and a camera MCU 42. The camerasystem 1 generates image data regarding regions ahead of, behind, to theleft of, and to the right of the host vehicle and transmits thegenerated image data to the ECU 2-320.

The radar system 2-2 includes one or more radars and a radar MCU 2-312.The radar system 2-2 emits radio waves to the regions ahead, behind, tothe left, and to the right and receives reflected waves to detectobjects located in the regions ahead, behind, to the left, and to theright within a distance of 150 meters and a horizontal angle of 30degrees. Here, the radar system 2-2 detects the objects using FMCW andPulse Carrier and transmits radar data including a result of detectingthe objects to the ECU 2-320.

The ECU 2-320 detects a target vehicle from among nearby vehicles on thebasis of the image data input from the camera system 1 and the radardata input from the radar system 2-2 and determines a risk of collisionbetween the host vehicle and the target vehicle. Here, the image datatransmitted from the camera system 1 to the ECU 2-320 includes lanerecognition information, vehicle-in-front recognition information,vehicle-behind recognition information, vehicle-to-the-left recognitioninformation, and vehicle-to-the-right recognition information. Also, theradar data transmitted from the radar system 2-2 to the ECU 2-320includes vehicle-in-front recognition information, vehicle-behindrecognition information, vehicle-to-the-left recognition information,and vehicle-to-the-right recognition information.

When it is determined that there is a risk of collision between the hostvehicle and the target vehicle, a control signal is transmitted to thevehicle posture controller 2-333, the steering controller 2-334, theengine controller 2-335, the suspension controller 2-336, and the brakecontroller 2-337 in order to avoid the collision. In this way, theposture, speed, and steering of the host vehicle are controlled to avoidthe collision between the host vehicle and the target vehicle.

By controlling the steering controller 2-334, the engine controller2-335, and the brake controller 2-337, the collision with the targetvehicle may be avoided. In order to prevent a reduction of ride qualitydue to a significant change in speed or steering of the host vehicle andprevent an accident due to a driver's posture instability, the vehicleposture controller 2-333 and the suspension controller 2-336 are alsocontrolled to ensure driving stability along with collision avoidance.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a method of detecting a target vehicle witha collision risk according to the second embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 10, the ECU 2-320 corrects signals of the image datainput from the camera system 1 and the radar data input from the radarsystem 2-2 (lateral offset, angle, target lateral speed).

The ECU 2-320 detects, as a target vehicle B, a vehicle overlapping ahost vehicle A by a certain percentage or higher from among nearbyvehicles. As an example, the ECU 2-320 may detect a vehicle overlappingthe host vehicle A by 50% or higher as the target vehicle B.

Also, the ECU 2-320 detects a nearby vehicle having a traveling anglethat differs from that of the host vehicle A by a certain degree or lessas the target vehicle B. As an example, when the angle differencebetween the host vehicle A and the nearby vehicle ranges 0° to 30°(e.g., or 0% to 30%), the ECU 2-320 may detect the nearby vehicle as thetarget vehicle B. The angle difference between the host vehicle A andthe nearby vehicle may be measured as an angle between the direction oftravel of the host vehicle and the direction of travel of the nearbyvehicle. Here, the ECU 2-320 detects, as the target vehicle B, a nearbyvehicle (or object) overlapping the host vehicle A by a certainpercentage or higher and/or having an angle that differs from that ofthe host vehicle A by a certain degree or less, irrespective of whetherthe vehicle (or object) is stopped or is traveling.

The ECU 2-320 detecting the target vehicle B has been described above.However, a collision with a pedestrian or an object as well as a vehicleshould be avoided, and thus the ECU 2-320 detects a target object(including a target vehicle) and controls the host vehicle A to avoid acollision with the target object. That is, when an object (including avehicle and a pedestrian) is detected on a traveling direction route ofthe host vehicle A, the ECU 2-320 detects the detected object as thetarget object. Here, the traveling route of the host vehicle A may beset on the basis of lanes. When a road has no lanes, the ECU 2-320 maygenerate a virtual lane and detect a target object on the travelingroute on the basis of the virtual lane and the location of the nearbyobject. In particular, when a new object cuts into the traveling route,the ECU 2-320 detects this object as the target object (or targetvehicle).

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a method of avoiding a collision with atarget vehicle by controlling the speed and steering of a host vehicleaccording to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 11, a collision risk is calculated on the basis of alateral offset between a host vehicle and a target vehicle asrepresented in the following Equation 1.Lateral offset=lateral speed of target object*TTC=(relativedistance)/(relative speed)  (Equation 1)

Dynamic control: lateral offset (TTC, Vlat)<X

Deceleration+avoidance control: X1<lateral offset (TTC, Vlat)<X2

No control required: lateral offset (TTC, Vlat)>X3

ECU 2-320 calculates a heading angle and a lateral offset and performsupdate. Also, the ECU 2-320 maintains a lane curvature and a curvaturederivative.

When the risk of collision between the host vehicle and the targetvehicle exceeds a pre-determined reference value, the ECU 2-320generates an avoidance route in consideration of an expected headingangle (HA) and controls the speed and steering of the host vehicle. Inthis case, the ECU 2-320 may generate a steering avoidance route on thebasis of a three-dimensional (3D) lane-based model.

3D lane-based model Y=C0I+C1IX+C2IX2+C3IX3

C0I indicates a lateral offset (Lane Mark Position), C1I indicates aline heading angle (Lane Mark Heading Angle), 2C2I indicates a linecurvature (Lane Mark Model A), 6C3I indicates a line curvaturederivative (Lane Mark Model d(A)).

Steering Control Collision Avoidance

When a collision is avoided through steering control, the ECU 2-320transmits a control signal to the steering controller 2-334 and controlsthe steering of the host vehicle A. Here, when the steering of the hostvehicle A is controlled in order to avoid a collision with the targetvehicle B, a collision with a nearby vehicle approaching behind mayoccur. According to the present disclosure, before performing steeringavoidance control, the ECU 2-320 determines a risk of collision with avehicle approaching behind or a vehicle traveling in the left or rightlane.

When there is no risk of collision with a vehicle traveling behind andthere is no vehicle traveling in the left or right lane or no risk ofcollision with a vehicle traveling in the left or right lane, the ECU2-320 controls the steering of the host vehicle A to avoid the collisionwith the target vehicle B.

Also, when a collision with the target vehicle B ahead is expected tooccur and it is determined that the collision can be avoided only bydecelerating the host vehicle A, the ECU 2-320 may control the steeringof the host vehicle A to avoid the collision with the target vehicle B.

Speed Control Collision Avoidance

When a collision is avoided through speed control, the ECU 2-320transmits a control signal to the engine controller 2-335 and the brakecontroller 2-337 to decelerate the host vehicle A. Here, when acollision with the target vehicle B ahead is expected, the ECU 2-320determines a risk of collision with a vehicle traveling in the left orright lane upon the steering avoidance. When the collision with thevehicle traveling in the left or right lane is determined upon thesteering avoidance, the ECU 2-320 decelerates the host vehicle A toavoid the collision with the target vehicle B.

Also, when a collision with the target vehicle B ahead is expected andit is determined that the collision can be avoided by decelerating thehost vehicle A, the ECU 2-320 may decelerate the host vehicle A to avoidthe collision with the target vehicle B.

Collision Avoidance upon Land Change of Vehicle in the Next Lane

A method of preventing a collision when a vehicle traveling in the nextlane enters (cuts into, partially engages in, or impinges on) atraveling route of the host vehicle will be described.

As an example, by the ECU 2-320 analyzing image data obtained bycapturing vehicles traveling in the next lane, the camera system 1senses lane change intentions of the vehicles traveling in the nextlane. The ECU 2-320 may detect turn signal lights (blinkers) of nearbyvehicles to detect that a vehicle traveling in the next lane enters(cuts into) the traveling route of the host vehicle A.

As another example, by the ECU 2-320 analyzing image data obtained bycapturing vehicles traveling in the next lane, the camera system 1senses lane change intentions of the vehicles traveling in the nextlane. The ECU 2-320 may detect tire orientations of nearby vehicles todetect that a vehicle traveling in the next lane enters (cuts into) thetraveling route of the host vehicle A.

As still another example, the ECU 2-320 analyzes image data obtained bythe camera system 1 capturing the vehicles traveling in the next laneand radar data obtained by the radar system 2-2 detecting the vehiclestraveling in the next lane. In this way, the ECU 2-320 senses the lanechange intentions of the vehicles traveling in the next lane. The ECU2-320 may detect lateral accelerations and directions of nearby vehiclesto detect that a vehicle traveling in the next lane enters (cuts in) thetraveling route of the host vehicle A.

TABLE 1 Acceleration of host vehicle Relative speed with respect tovehicle traveling in next lane < V Longitudinal distance with respect tovehicle traveling in next lane < Y Lateral distance with respect tovehicle traveling in next lane < X Deceleration of host vehicle Speed ofvehicle traveling in next lane < Speed of host vehicle + α Longitudinaldistance with respect to vehicle traveling in next lane > Y Lateraldistance with respect to vehicle traveling in next lane > X Braking ofhost vehicle Speed of host vehicle > Speed of vehicle traveling in nextlane Longitudinal distance with respect to vehicle traveling in nextlane < Y Lateral distance with respect to vehicle traveling in next lane< X Host vehicle steering avoidance Speed of host vehicle > Speed ofvehicle traveling in next lane Longitudinal distance with respect tovehicle traveling in next lane < Y X1 < Lateral distance with respect tovehicle traveling in next lane < X2 Case in which there is no vehicle innext lane Lateral distance from avoidance direction lane to vehicleahead being greater than or equal to certain value

When a vehicle traveling in the next lane enters (cuts into, partiallyengages in, or impinges on) the traveling route of the host vehicle A,when a vehicle in the right lane cuts ahead of the host vehicle A upon aleft turn at an intersection, or when a vehicle in the left lane cutsahead of the host vehicle A upon a right turn at an intersection, asshown in Table 1, the ECU 2-320 determines a control mode of the hostvehicle A. The ECU 2-320 may avoid a collision between the host vehicleA and a nearby vehicle through one of or a combination of anacceleration control mode, a deceleration control mode, a brakingcontrol mode, and a steering control mode. As an example, the ECU 2-320may avoid the collision by performing acceleration control, decelerationcontrol, braking control, or steering control on the host vehicle A.Here, the acceleration control and the steering control may besimultaneously performed on the host vehicle A, the acceleration controland the steering control may be simultaneously performed on the hostvehicle A, and the braking control and the steering control may besimultaneously performed on the host vehicle A.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the collision avoidance method according tothe second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 12, the ECU 2-320 receives image data generated by thecamera system 1 and radar data generated by the radar system 2-2(S2-10).

Subsequently, the ECU 2-320 corrects signals of the image data and theradar data. That is, the ECU 2-320 corrects sensor signals (S2-20).

Subsequently, the ECU 2-320 detects a target vehicle from among nearbyvehicles on the basis of the image data and the radar data (S2-30).Here, the ECU 2-320 detects, as a target vehicle B, a vehicleoverlapping a host vehicle A by a certain percentage or higher fromamong the nearby vehicles. As an example, the ECU 2-320 may detect avehicle overlapping the host vehicle A by 50% or higher as the targetvehicle B. Also, the ECU 320 detects a nearby vehicle having a travelingangle that differs from that of the host vehicle A by a certain degreeor less as the target vehicle B. As an example, when the angledifference between the host vehicle A and the nearby vehicle ranges 0°to 30° (e.g., 0% to 30%), the ECU 2-320 may detect the nearby vehicle asthe target vehicle B. The ECU 2-320 detects, as the target vehicle B, anearby vehicle (or object) overlapping the host vehicle A by a certainpercentage or higher and/or having an angle that differs from that ofthe host vehicle A by a certain degree or less, irrespective of whetherthe nearby vehicle (or object) is stopped or is traveling.

Subsequently, the ECU 2-320 determines a risk of collision between thehost vehicle and the target vehicle on the basis of a lateral offsetbetween the host vehicle and the target vehicle (S2-40).

Subsequently, when the collision between host vehicle and the targetvehicle is determined, the ECU 2-320 determines a control mode of thehost vehicle and transmits a control signals to the vehicle posturecontroller 2-333, the steering controller 2-334, the engine controller335, the suspension controller 2-336, and the brake controller 2-337according to the determined control mode. In this way, the posture,speed, and steering of the host vehicle are controlled to avoid thecollision between the host vehicle and the target vehicle.

Here, the collision with the target vehicle may be avoided bycontrolling the steering of the host vehicle. Also, the collision withthe target vehicle may be avoided by controlling the speed of the hostvehicle. Also, a collision between the host vehicle and a vehiclecutting in from the next lane may be avoided by controlling one or moreof the speed, braking, and steering of the host vehicle when the vehicletraveling in the next lane changes lanes.

Third Embodiment

At an intersection, a host vehicle may go straight, turn around, or turnleft or right and may change lanes in order to turn around or turn leftor right. Also, vehicles other than the host vehicle may also turnaround or turn left or right, and thus there is a high possibility of acollision between vehicles. To this end, a vehicle needs a controlsystem for preventing a vehicle collision and a variety of sensors forsensing a collision.

The third embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a drivingassistance system that controls a vehicle using a camera system for anADAS.

The third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described belowwith reference to FIGS. 13 to 15.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing vehicle control according to the thirdembodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 13, a camera system 1 and/or a GPSprocessor 3-313 may discover that a vehicle 3-1000 enters anintersection. The camera system 1 may discover a traffic light 3-1100 ofthe intersection to discover that the vehicle 3-1000 enters theintersection. The GPS processor 3-313 may measure the location of thevehicle 3-1000 through communication with a satellite, compare themeasured location to prestored map information, and determine whetherthe vehicle 3-1000 enters the intersection.

The camera system 1 may capture state information of the surroundings ofthe vehicle 3-1000, first information, and second information andtransmit the captured information to the ECU 3-320. The ECU 3-320 mayreceive the state information, the first information, and the secondinformation and control the steering of the vehicle 3-1000 on the basisof the received information. The state information may include at leastone of an expanded branch lane and road marks 3-1210 and 3-1230. Thefirst information may include at least one of data regarding vehiclesahead, data regarding lanes ahead, distances from font vehicles, dataregarding traffic signs of an intersection, and signal data of anintersection. The second information may include a left-turn road mark3-1250 of the branch lane 3-1130, an intersection stop line 3-1270, thepresence of a vehicle ahead, and intersection signal data. The expandedbranch lane 3-1130 may refer to a lane which the vehicle 3-1000traveling in a left hand lane 3-1110 (the leftmost lane with respect toa vehicle traveling direction) will enter in order to turn left. Thatis, the expanded branch lane 3-1130 may refer to a lane that is newlyprovided to the left of the left hand lane 3-1110. The first informationmay be information discovered by the camera system 1 before or while thevehicle 3-1000 enters the branch lane 3-1130, and the second informationmay be information discovered by the camera system 1 after the vehicle3-1000 enters the branch lane 3-1130.

As an example, the camera system 1 may capture a region ahead of thevehicle 3-1000 or sense the road marks 3-1210 and 3-1230 present aheadof the vehicle 3-1000 to discover whether there is a branch lane. Forexample, the road marks 3-1210 and 3-1230 may include a safety zone mark3-1210 displayed for the branch lane on a road and a guidance mark3-1230 representing a vehicle traveling direction. The guidance mark3-1230 may inform a driver that the vehicle 3-1000 may enter the branchlane 3-1130.

As an example, before or while the vehicle 3-1000 enters the branch lane3-1130, the camera system 1 may discover whether a lane ahead of thevehicle 3-1000 is empty, whether another vehicle is present ahead, adistance from a vehicle ahead, and the like. Thus, it is possible forthe vehicle 3-1000 to avoid colliding with a vehicle ahead whileentering the branch lane 3-1130. Also, after the vehicle 3-1000 entersthe branch lane 3-1130, the camera system 1 may discover the left-turnroad mark 3-1250, the intersection stop line 3-1270, data regardingtraffic signs of the intersection, and the intersection signal data.

The ECU 3-320 may control some of the elements in the control level onthe basis of the state information, the first information, and thesecond information. As an example, the ECU 3-320 may control thesteering controller 3-334 using the state information to control thesteering of the vehicle 3-1000. Through information regarding theexpanded branch lane and the road marks 3-1210 and 3-1230, the ECU 3-320may control the steering such that the vehicle 3-1000 traveling in theleft-hand lane 3-1110 enters the branch lane 3-1130. Also, the ECU 3-320may control the speed and braking of the vehicle 3-1000 using the firstinformation. In this case, the ECU 3-320 may control an enginecontroller 3-335, a suspension controller 3-336, a brake controller3-337, and the like. When the vehicle 3-1000 enters the branch lane3-1130, the ECU 3-320 may prevent a collision with a vehicle ahead usingthe first information, which includes data regarding vehicles ahead,data regarding lanes ahead, and distances from vehicles ahead. Forexample, when a distance from a vehicle ahead is smaller than apre-determined distance or when a vehicle ahead travels at low speed,the ECU 3-320 may decelerate the vehicle 3-1000 or operate the brake.

As an example, after the vehicle 3-1000 enters the branch lane 3-1130,the ECU 3-320 may determine whether to stop or turn left at anintersection through the second information, which includes theleft-turn road mark 3-1250, the intersection stop line 3-1270, the dataregarding traffic signs of the intersection, and the intersection signaldata and then may control the vehicle 3-1000. For example, when theintersection signal data indicates turning on a left-turn signal, thecamera system 1 may recognize the intersection signal data and theleft-turn road mark 3-1250. The ECU 3-320 may receive informationregarding the left-turn road mark 3-1250 and the intersection signaldata from the camera system 1 and control the vehicle 3-1000 located inthe branch lane 3-1130 to turn left. When the intersection signal dataindicates turning off a left-turn signal, the ECU 3-320 may control thevehicle 3-1000 to stop before the intersection stop line 3-1270 or maycontrol the vehicle 3-1000 to stop away from another vehicle ahead ofthe vehicle 3-1000. In this case, the ECU 3-320 may control the steeringcontroller 3-334, the engine controller 3-335, the suspension controller3-336, the brake controller 3-337, and the like. However, the control ofthe vehicle 3-1000 through the ECU 3-320 according to the presentdisclosure may not be limited to the above examples.

As another example, the data regarding the vehicles ahead, the dataregarding the lanes ahead, and the distance from the vehicle ahead maybe discovered through a Lidar and a radar. The camera system 1 mayinteroperate with the lidar and the radar to discover informationregarding the surroundings of the vehicle and to transmit theinformation to the ECU 3-320.

The ECU 3-320 may control a driver warning controller 3-331 to inform adriver of whether the vehicle 3-1000 can enter the branch lane 3-1130,whether a left-turn is allowed in the branch lane 3-1130, and the like.The driver warning controller 331 may display a video-type notificationmessage or a notification image to the driver through an HUD or a sidemirror display or may inform the driver in an audio manner. Through theinformation provided by the driver warning controller 3-331, the drivermay directly change the steering of the vehicle 3-1000 or may controlthe overall configuration of the vehicle 3-1000.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating the order of controlling a vehicleaccording to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 6, and 14, the ECU 3-320 may determine whether thevehicle 3-1000 is approaching an intersection on the basis of locationinformation of the vehicle 3-1000 and information of the intersection byusing a GPS apparatus. Also, the ECU 3-320 may discover a traffic light3-1100 of the intersection using the camera system 1 to determinewhether the vehicle 3-1000 is approaching the intersection (S3-10).

The camera system 1 may discover state information of the surroundingsof the vehicle. For example, the state information may include at leastone of the expanded branch lane and the road marks 3-1210 and 3-1230(S3-20). Additionally, the camera system 1 may discover the firstinformation, which is information regarding the region ahead of thevehicle 3-1000. For example, the first information may include at leastone of the data regarding vehicles ahead, the data regarding lanesahead, the distances from the font vehicles, the data regarding thetraffic signs of the intersection, and the intersection signal data(S3-30).

The camera system 1 may transmit the state information and the firstinformation to the ECU 3-320, and the ECU 3-320 may determine whetherthe vehicle 3-1000 can make a lane change from the left hand lane 3-1110to the branch lane 3-1130 on the basis of the state information and thefirst information. First, the ECU 3-320 may determine whether the branchlane 3-1130 is present on the basis of the state information. When it isdetermined that the branch lane 3-1130 is present, the ECU 3-320 maydetermine a possibility of the vehicle 3-1000 colliding with anothervehicle ahead on the basis of the first information. When it isdetermined through the state information that the safety zone mark3-1210 and the guidance mark 3-1230 are present to the left of the lefthand lane 3-1110, the ECU 3-320 may control the steering of the vehicle3-1000 to make a lane change to a lane allowing a left-turn, that is,the branch lane 3-1130. In this case, the ECU 3-320 may control thevehicle 3-1000 to prevent a collision with another vehicle inconsideration of the first information. When it is determined inconsideration of the first information that there is a possibility ofcolliding with a vehicle ahead, the ECU 3-320 may not enter the branchlane 3-1130, the camera system 1 may rediscover first information andtransmit the first information to the ECU 3-320, and the ECU 3-320 maydetermine whether there is a possibility of colliding with a vehicleahead again (S3-45, S3-50).

As another example, when it is determined through the state informationthat there are no safety zone mark 3-1210 and no guidance mark 3-1230 tothe left of the left hand lane 3-1110, the ECU 3-320 may not control thesteering of the vehicle 3-1000. That is, the ECU 3-320 may control thevehicle 3-1000 not to enter the branch lane 3-1130.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating the order of controlling a vehicleaccording to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 6, and 15, the camera system 1 may discover thesecond information regarding a region ahead of the vehicle 3-1000 havingmade a lane change to the left lane. The second information may includethe left-turn road mark 3-1250 of the branch lane 3-1130, theintersection stop line 3-1270, the presence of a vehicle ahead, and theintersection signal data (S3-50, S3-60). The camera system 1 maytransmit the second information to the ECU 3-320, and the ECU 3-320 maycontrol the speed and braking of the vehicle 3-1000 on the basis of theintersection stop line 3-1270 and the presence of a vehicle ahead. Forexample, when another vehicle is present ahead of the vehicle 3-1000,the ECU 3-320 may perform control to decelerate the vehicle 3-1000 or todrive the brake. When there is no other vehicle ahead of the vehicle3-1000, the ECU 3-320 may control the speed and braking of the vehicle3-1000 in order to stop at the intersection stop line 3-1270 (S3-70).When the intersection signal is a “Go” signal allowing a left turn, theECU 3-320 may control the vehicle 3-1000 to turn left. When theintersection signal is not a “Go” signal allowing a left turn, thecamera system 1 may rediscover second information, and the ECU 3-320 maycontrol the vehicle 3-1000 on the basis of the second information. TheECU 3-320 may control a driver warning controller to inform the driverof whether the vehicle can turn left, which is determined through thestate information, the first information, and the second information(S3-80, S3-90).

Fourth Embodiment

The emergency braking system provides collision warning and automaticbraking control when a collision with a vehicle ahead or pedestrian isexpected. To this end, the emergency braking system calculates arelative speed and acceleration of the host vehicle with respect to eachcollision risk factor ahead, checks the time-to-collision, anddetermines a braking control start time of the host vehicle. However, anemergency braking system according to the related art determines thebraking control start time of the host vehicle without considering aroad condition. When it comes to rain or snow, a road becomes slippery,and the braking distance increases compared to a normal road.Accordingly, it is assumed that a braking control start time set on thebasis of a normal road is applied to a slippery road. In this case, evenwhen an emergency braking is performed, a collision with a vehicle aheador object (including a pedestrian) cannot be avoided.

The fourth embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a camerasystem for an ADAS and an emergency braking system and method which arecapable of controlling an emergency braking start time according to thedegree to which a road is slippery.

The fourth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described belowwith reference to FIGS. 16 to 18.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example in which a slippery road sign isrecognized using a camera system according to the fourth embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 16, the emergency braking system according to thefourth embodiment of the present disclosure may recognize a slipperyroad and may control the emergency braking start time according to thedegree to which the road is slippery. Also, by advancing the emergencybraking start time when it is determined that the road is slippery, itis possible to prevent a head-on/rear-end collision due to an increasein braking distance. To this end, the emergency braking system accordingto an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an ECU 4-320, a GPSMCU 4-313, a navigation MCU 4-314, a driver warning controller 4-331, anengine controller 4-335, a brake controller 4-337, and a camera system1.

As an example of recognizing a slippery road, the emergency brakingsystem according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosurerecognizes road signs S1 and S2 indicating a road condition using thecamera system 1 and provides a result of recognizing the road signs tothe ECU 4-320. As an example, the emergency braking system may recognizethe road sign S1, which indicates a slippery road, the road sign S2,which indicates a wet road, or the like. In addition, the emergencybraking system may recognize a sign indicating a bridge inclinable tofreeze, a sign indicating a habitual flooding zone, and the like.

As an example of recognizing a slippery road, the emergency brakingsystem according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure maycheck a weather condition corresponding to a current road to recognizewhether the road is slippery. Using the navigation MCU 4-314 or a smartdevice (e.g., a cellular phone), the emergency braking system receivescurrent weather information corresponding to a current road and providesthe weather information to the ECU 4-320.

As an example of recognizing a slippery road, the emergency brakingsystem according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure maycheck whether the windshield wiper of the vehicle operates. When thewindshield wiper operates continuously for a certain period of time, theemergency braking system may recognize that a current road is slippery.

As an example of recognizing a slippery road, the emergency brakingsystem according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure maycheck a road condition by analyzing a road image because moistureremains on the road in the case of rain or snow. Using the camera system1, the emergency braking system captures a region ahead of a currentroad and recognizes a road condition from the image regarding the regionahead. The camera system 1 provides information regarding the roadcondition to the ECU 4-320.

Emergency Braking Control on Normal Road

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example in which an emergency brakingsystem changes an emergency braking start time according to a degree towhich a road is slippery according to the fourth embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 17, when it is determined that a host vehicle istraveling on a normal road, the ECU 4-320 maintain a default valuewithout applying a separate weight when the emergency braking start timeis calculated.

The navigation MCU 4-314 computes the speed of a host vehicle V1 andcalculates a relative speed between the host vehicle V1 and a targetvehicle V2 on the basis of a distance between the host vehicle V1 andthe target vehicle V2. Information regarding the relative speed betweenthe host vehicle V1 and the target vehicle V2 is provided to the ECU4-320.

The ECU 4-320 calculates the time to collision (TTC) of the host vehicleV1 and the target vehicle V2 on the basis of the relative speed betweenthe host vehicle V1 and the target vehicle V2 and sets times for a firstwarning A1, a second warning B1, and a third warning C1 according to theTTC.

Here, the first warning A1 is a step of pre-filling the brake withpressure. The ECU 4-320 controls the brake controller 4-337 to pre-fillthe brake with pressure so that the vehicle may be braked immediatelyupon emergency braking.

The second warning B1 is a step of decreasing/stopping the output of theengine. The ECU 4-320 controls the engine controller 4-331 to decreaseor stop the output of the engine so that the vehicle may be brakedimmediately upon emergency braking.

The third warning C1 is a step of actually performing braking. The ECU4-320 controls the brake controller 4-337 to perform full braking.

In the steps for the first warning A1, the second warning B1, and thethird warning C1, the ECU 4-320 controls the driver warning controller4-331 to warn a driver of an emergency braking situation and to notifythe driver that emergency braking is performed. Here, the ECU 4-320 maywarn the driver of an abnormal situation by outputting warning soundsthrough an audio apparatus of the vehicle, visually outputting a warningsituation through a video apparatus, and tactically outputting a warningsituation through a haptic apparatus.

Emergency Braking Control on Slippery Road

The ECU 4-320 recognizes whether a current road is slippery on the basisof a result of recognizing a sign on the road. Also, the ECU 4-320 maycheck a weather condition corresponding to the current road to recognizewhether the road is slippery. Also, the ECU 4-320 may check whether thewindshield wiper of the vehicle operates and may recognize that thecurrent road is slippery when the windshield wiper operates continuouslyfor a certain period of time. Also, the ECU 4-320 may check a roadcondition from the image regarding the region ahead to recognize whetherthe current road is slippery.

When it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling on a slipperyroad, the ECU 4-320 advances the emergency braking control start time byapplying a weight (ranging, for example, from +30% to +70%) whencalculating an emergency braking start time in consideration of anincrease in braking distance.

The navigation MCU 4-314 computes the speed of a host vehicle V1 andcalculates a relative speed between the host vehicle V1 and a targetvehicle V2 on the basis of a distance between the host vehicle V1 andthe target vehicle V2. Information regarding the relative speed betweenthe host vehicle V1 and the target vehicle V2 is provided to the ECU4-320.

The ECU 4-320 calculates the TTC of the host vehicle V1 and the targetvehicle V2 on the basis of the relative speed between the host vehicleV1 and the target vehicle V2 and sets times for a first warning A2, asecond warning B2, and a third warning C2 according to the TTC. Here,the emergency braking control start time is advanced by applying aweight (ranging, for example, from +30% to +70%) when the emergencybraking start time is calculated.

Generally, the slippery road has a braking distance greater than about1.5 times the braking distance of a normal road. Thus, the emergencybraking control start time is advanced by applying a weight of 50% whenthe emergency braking start time is calculated.

Here, the first warning A2 is a stage of pre-filling the brake withpressure. The ECU 4-320 controls the brake controller 4-337 to pre-fillthe brake with pressure so that the vehicle may be braked immediatelyupon emergency braking.

The second warning B2 is a step of decreasing/stopping the output of theengine. The ECU 4-320 controls the engine controller 4-331 to decreaseor stop the output of the engine so that the vehicle may be brakedimmediately upon emergency braking.

The third warning C2 is a step of actually performing braking. The ECU4-320 controls the brake controller 4-337 to perform full braking.

In the steps for the first warning A1, the second warning B1, and thethird warning C1, the ECU 4-320 controls the driver warning controller4-331 to warn a driver of an emergency braking situation and to notifythe driver that emergency braking is performed. Here, the ECU 4-320 maywarn the driver of an abnormal situation by outputting warning soundsthrough an audio apparatus of the vehicle, visually outputting a warningsituation through a video apparatus, and tactically outputting a warningsituation through a haptic apparatus.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an emergency braking method according tothe fourth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 18, on the basis of recognition of a road sign, it isdetermined whether a current road is slippery (S4-10).

When it is determined in S4-10 that no road sign is recognized or thatthe recognized road sign does not warn of a road condition, weatherinformation is checked to determine whether a current road is slippery(S4-20).

When it is determined in S4-20 that the current road is not slippery, itis checked whether the windshield wiper of the host vehicle operates todetermine whether the current road is slippery (S4-30).

When it is determined in S4-30 that the current road is not slippery, anemergency braking control start time is maintained without a separateweight being applied when an emergency braking control start time iscalculated (S4-40).

When it is determined in S4-10 on the basis of a result of recognizingthe road sign that the current road is slippery, the emergency brakingcontrol start time is advanced by applying a weight (e.g., ranging from+30% to +70%) when calculating the emergency braking start time inconsideration of the increase in braking distance (S4-50).

Also, when it is determined in S4-20 on the basis of the weatherinformation that the current road is slippery, the emergency brakingcontrol start time is advanced by applying a weight (e.g., ranging from+30% to +70%) when calculating the emergency braking start time inconsideration of the increase in braking distance (S4-50).

Also, when it is determined in S4-30 on the basis of the operation ofthe windshield wiper of the host vehicle that the current road isslippery, the emergency braking control start time is advanced byapplying a weight (e.g., ranging from +30% to +70%) when calculating theemergency braking start time in consideration of the increase in brakingdistance (S4-50).

Also, when a result of analyzing the road condition from theregion-in-front image acquired using the camera system 1 is that thecurrent road is slippery, the emergency braking control start time isadvanced by applying a weight (e.g., ranging from +30% to +70%) whencalculating the emergency braking start time in consideration of theincrease in braking distance (S4-50).

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to implement avoltage logic and a memory logic that may be used in a front-view camerasystem for an ADAS.

Also, according to the present disclosure, a scheme capable of couplinga lens barrel and a lens holder in a front-view camera system for anADAS may be provided.

Also, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to control anemergency braking start time according to a degree to which a road isslippery.

Also, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent ahead-on/rear-end collision accident due to the increase in brakingdistance by advancing the emergency braking start time when it isdetermined that the road is slippery.

Fifth Embodiment

When a host vehicle is traveling at high speed, the possibility of anaccident increases due to a vehicle cutting ahead of the host vehicle.In this case, when a driver's response is late, a collision with thevehicle ahead may occur. The collision may be prevented through vehicledeceleration, vehicle acceleration, and a change of a lane in which thevehicle is traveling. To this end, a technique for finding the presenceof a vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle and a vehicle cuttingahead of the host vehicle is required.

The fifth embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a camerasystem for an ADAS and a driving assistance system for controlling ahost vehicle using the camera system.

The fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described belowwith reference to FIGS. 19A to 19C, 20A to 20C, and 21.

FIGS. 19A to 19C are views illustrating lateral vehicle controlaccording to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Reference will be made to FIGS. 1, 3, and 19A to 19C. In FIG. 19A, ahost vehicle 5-100 may use the camera system 1 including at least oneimage sensor to discover the location of the host vehicle 5-100 and aregion 5-110 ahead of the host vehicle 5-100 in a lane in which the hostvehicle 5-100 is traveling. The region 5-110 ahead may refer to a laneahead of the host vehicle 5-100 and a lane next to the front lane. Thelane in which the host vehicle 5-100 is traveling is defined as thefirst lane 5-50. The location of the host vehicle 5-100 in the firstlane 5-50 may be a lateral distance between the host vehicle 5-100 andthe first lane 5-50.

In FIG. 19B, the host vehicle 5-100 may use the camera system 1 todiscover the first lane 5-50 in which the host vehicle 5-100 istraveling and a third-party vehicle 5-200 which cuts ahead of the hostvehicle 5-100 (e.g., a third-party vehicle that cuts into, at leastpartially overlaps with, or impinges on the travel lane or route of thehost vehicle 5-100). In this case, the camera system 1 may discover adistance between the host vehicle 5-100 and the first lane 5-50 bydiscovering the first lane 5-50. In this case, the ECU 5-320 maycalculate a location at which the host vehicle 5-100 is placed in thefirst lane 5-50. In detail, the ECU 5-320 may calculate a first distanced1 between the first lane 5-50 and the left side of the host vehicle5-100 and a second distance d2 between the first lane 5-50 and the rightside of the host vehicle 5-100. Also, the ECU 5-320 may obtain a lateralpositional relationship between the host vehicle 5-100 and thethird-party vehicle 5-200 through information regarding the first lane5-50 detected by the camera system 1 and information regarding thelocation of the third-party vehicle 5-200. As an example, the ECU 5-320may obtain the lateral locations of the host vehicle 5-100 and thethird-party vehicle 5-200 through the location of the third-partyvehicle 5-200, the first-lane overlapping degree between the hostvehicle 100 and the third-party vehicle 5-200, and the like, which aredetected by the camera system 1.

Also, a radar apparatus may measure the distance between the hostvehicle 5-100 and the third-party vehicle 5-200. A radar system is asensor that uses electromagnetic waves to measure the distance, speed,or angle of an object. Generally, the radar system may be located at thefront grille of a vehicle to cover even a front lower portion of thevehicle. The reason why the radar apparatus is disposed at the frontgrill, that is, outside the vehicle, in other words, the reason why theradar apparatus is not allowed to transmit and receive signals throughthe windshield of the vehicle is a reduction in sensitivity whenelectromagnetic waves pass through glass. According to the presentdisclosure, the electromagnetic waves may be prevented from passingthrough the windshield while the radar apparatus is located inside thevehicle, in particular, below the windshield inside the vehicle. To thisend, the radar apparatus is configured to transmit and receiveelectromagnetic waves through an opening provided in an upper portion ofthe windshield. Also, a cover is disposed at a location corresponding tothe opening for the radar apparatus. The cover is to prevent loss (e.g.,an inflow of air, or the like) due to the opening. Also, it ispreferable that the cover be made of a material capable of being easilypenetrated by electromagnetic waves of frequencies the radar apparatususes. As a result, the radar apparatus is located inside the vehicle,but electromagnetic waves are transmitted and received through theopening provided in the windshield. The cover corresponding to theopening is provided in order to prevent the loss due to the opening, andthe electromagnetic waves are transmitted and received through thecover. The radar apparatus may use beam aiming, beam selection, digitalbeam forming, and digital beam steering. Also, the radar apparatus mayinclude an array antenna or a phased array antenna. In this case, theECU 5-320 may obtain a lateral positional relationship between the hostvehicle 5-100 and the third-party vehicle 5-200 through the informationmeasured by the radar apparatus.

In FIG. 19C, the ECU 5-320 may determine a risk of collision with thethird-party vehicle 5-200 on the basis of the location of the hostvehicle 5-100 in the first lane 5-50 and thus may control the steeringand speed of the host vehicle 5-100. The camera system 1 may discoverwhether another vehicle is present in the second lane, which is oppositeto a lane from which the third-party vehicle 5-200 cuts into the firstlane 5-50.

As an example, when there is no vehicle in the second lane, the ECU5-320 may control the steering of the host vehicle 5-100 so that thehost vehicle 5-100 makes a lane change to the second lane. By thecontrol of the ECU 5-320, it is possible to prevent a collision betweenthe host vehicle 5-100 and the third-party vehicle 5-200.

FIGS. 20A to 20C are views illustrating longitudinal vehicle controlaccording to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. Forsimplicity of description, a repetitive description of those describedwith reference to FIG. 19 will be omitted. FIGS. 20A and 20B are thesame as or similar to FIGS. 19A and 19B, and thus a description thereofwill be omitted.

Reference will be made to FIGS. 1, 3, and 20. In FIG. 20C, the ECU 5-320may determine a risk of collision with the third-party vehicle 5-200 onthe basis of the location of the host vehicle 5-100 in the first lane5-50 and thus may control the steering and speed of the host vehicle5-100. The camera system 1 may discover whether another vehicle ispresent in the second lane, which is opposite to a lane from which thethird-party vehicle 5-200 cuts into the first lane 5-50.

As an example, when a third vehicle 5-300, which is still anothervehicle, is present in the second lane, the ECU 5-320 may determinewhether the host vehicle 5-100 can pass the third-party vehicle 5-200before the third-party vehicle 5-200 completely enters the first lane5-50. In detail, the ECU 5-320 may determine whether the host vehicle5-100 can pass the third-party vehicle 5-200 through the lateral andlongitudinal positional relationships between the host vehicle 5-100 andthe third-party vehicle 5-200, which are discovered by the camera system1, and the speeds of the host vehicle 5-100 and the third-party vehicle5-200, which are discovered by the radar apparatus. When it isdetermined that the host vehicle 5-100 can pass the third-party vehicle5-200, the ECU 5-320 may accelerate the host vehicle 5-100. On the otherhand, when it is determined that the host vehicle 5-100 cannot pass thethird-party vehicle 5-200, the ECU 5-320 may decelerate the host vehicle5-100 to prevent a collision with the third-party vehicle 5-200. Thus,the third-party vehicle 5-200 may enter the first lane 5-50 and may belocated ahead of the host vehicle 5-100.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating vehicle control according to thefifth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 21, a camera system installed in a host vehicle maydiscover a region ahead of the host vehicle. The camera system mayrecognize a vehicle ahead and a lane which are located ahead of the hostvehicle (S5-10). When a third-party vehicle cuts ahead into a lane inwhich the host vehicle is traveling, the camera system may discover thelateral location of the third-party vehicle through the location of thethird-party vehicle and the overlapping degree between the third-partyvehicle and the lane (S5-20). The ECU may determine the lateral andlongitudinal positional relationships between the host vehicle and thethird-party vehicle through information regarding the location of thehost vehicle and the location of the third-party vehicle in the firstlane, which is acquired by the camera system, and information regardinga distance between the host vehicle and the third-party vehicle, whichis acquired by the radar apparatus (S5-30). In this case, the camerasystem may discover whether still another vehicle (a third-partyvehicle) is present in a lane next to the lane in which the host vehicleis traveling. The next lane refers to a lane opposite to a lane fromwhich the third-party vehicle is entering the first lane (S5-45). When athird vehicle is present in the next lane, the ECU may decelerate oraccelerate the host vehicle to prevent a collision between the hostvehicle and the third-party vehicle. That is, the ECU may performlongitudinal control on the host vehicle (S5-51). When no third vehicleis present in the next lane, the ECU may control the steering of thehost vehicle so that the host vehicle enters the next lane. That is, theECU may perform lateral control on the host vehicle. In addition, theECU may control the speed of the host vehicle (S5-53).

Sixth Embodiment

At an intersection, a host vehicle may go straight, turn around, or turnleft or right, and vehicles other than the host vehicle may also turnaround or turn left or right. Thus, a vehicle collision accident mayoccur frequently. When a collision between the host vehicle and a nearbyvehicle is expected, a CTA system according to the related art performsonly braking control. Also, the convention CTA system does not have afunction of warning a driver of a collision risk or of controllingsteering to avoid the collision, and thus has a limitation in preventinga collision accident at an intersection.

The sixth embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to providinga camera system for an ADAS and a CTA system and method which arecapable of performing steering control on the host vehicle as well ascapable of sensing a risk of collision between the host vehicle and anearby vehicle at an intersection on the basis of whether the hostvehicle is stopped or traveling and whether the steering wheel isoperated and capable of warning the driver of a collision risk accordingto a collision risk level.

The sixth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.22A, 22B, 23A, and 23B.

FIG. 22A is a diagram showing an example in which a warning for acollision risk is not issued when while a host vehicle is stopped at anintersection and the steering wheel is not operated according to thesixth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 22A, when a host vehicle A is stopped at anintersection and the steering wheel is not operated, that is, the driverhas no intention to turn left, right, or around, there is less or norisk of collision between the host vehicle A and a nearby vehicle B.Accordingly, a separate warning for the collision risk is not issued.

FIG. 22B is a diagram showing an example in which a warning for afirst-level collision risk is issued when a host vehicle is stopped atan intersection and the steering wheel is operated.

Referring to FIG. 22B, when the host vehicle A is stopped at theintersection, an ECU 6-320 checks whether the steering wheel is operatedto turn left, right, or around. Also, when the steering wheel of thehost vehicle A is operated, the ECU 6-320 determines whether there is arisk of collision with the nearby vehicle B while the host vehicle A istraveling in a desired direction.

Here, at least one of a lidar MCU 6-311, a radar MCU 6-312, and a cameraMCU 6-42 may detect the nearby vehicle B, and the ECU 6-320 maydetermine whether there is a risk of collision between the host vehicleA and the nearby vehicle B. When the steering wheel is operated whilethe host vehicle A is stopped, the ECU 6-320 determines a first-levelrisk of collision between the host vehicle A and the nearby vehicle Band warns the driver of the first-level collision risk.

When the warning for the first-level collision risk is issued, a driverwarning controller 6-331 may display a video warning message or awarning image to the driver through an HUD or a side mirror display towarn the driver of the first-level collision risk.

FIG. 23A is a diagram showing an example in which a warning for asecond-level collision risk is issued when a host vehicle startstraveling at an intersection and is expected to collide with a nearbyvehicle.

Referring to FIG. 23A, when a host vehicle A starts traveling at theintersection and the steering wheel is operated to turn left, right, oraround, the ECU 6-320 determines whether there is a risk of collisionbetween the host vehicle A and a nearby vehicle B.

When a risk of collision between the host vehicle and the nearby vehicleis expected while the vehicle is traveling in a direction in which thesteering wheel is operated, the ECU 6-320 determines a second-levelcollision risk and warns the driver of the second-level collision risk.When the host vehicle starts traveling although the warning for thefirst collision risk is issued while the host vehicle A is stopped, therisk of collision with the nearby vehicle increases, and thus the ECU6-320 determines the second-level collision risk.

When the warning for the second-level collision risk is issued, thedriver warning controller 6-331 displays a video warning message or awarning image to the driver through an HUD or a side mirror display andalso generates a warning signal in an audio manner. In this case, thedriver warning controller 6-331 may use a vehicle sound system to outputwarning sounds. That is, when the host vehicle starts traveling at anintersection and the steering wheel is operated to turn left, right, oraround, the ECU 6-320 determines the second-level collision risk andoutputs a video collision warning and an audio collision warningsimultaneously to warn the driver of the second-level warning risk.

FIG. 23B is a diagram showing an example in which a warning for athird-level collision risk is issued when a host vehicle startstraveling at an intersection and is expected to collide with a nearbyvehicle and the steering wheel is not operated for the purpose ofbraking or collision avoidance.

Referring to FIG. 23B, while the steering wheel is operated for the hostvehicle to turn left, right, or around at an intersection, the ECU 6-320determines whether there is a risk of collision with a nearby vehicle.Here, it is assumed that there is a collision risk when the host vehiclemaintains a current traveling direction, but braking is not performed orthe steering wheel is not operated to avoid the collision. In this case,the ECU 6-320 determines the third-level collision risk and warns thedriver of the third-level collision risk.

When the warning for the first-level collision risk or the warning forthe second-level collision risk is already issued or when the braking isnot performed or the steering wheel is not operated for collisionavoidance although the warning for the first-level collision risk or thewarning for the second-level collision risk is issued, a seriouscollision risk is expected. In this case, the ECU 6-320 determines thethird-level collision risk, and a steering controller 6-334 controls thesteering of the host vehicle so that the host vehicle travels to avoidthe collision, as well as the driver warning controller 6-331 issues thewarning for the second-level collision risk.

When the warning for the third-level collision risk is issued, thedriver warning controller 6-331 displays a video warning message or awarning image to the driver through an HUD or a side mirror display andalso generates a warning signal in an audio manner. In this case, thedriver warning controller 6-331 may use a vehicle sound system to outputwarning sounds. That is, when the host vehicle starts traveling at anintersection and the steering wheel is operated to turn left, right, oraround, the ECU 6-320 determines the second-level collision risk andoutputs a video collision warning and an audio collision warningsimultaneously. Furthermore, the steering controller 6-334 controls thesteering of the host vehicle to avoid a collision between the hostvehicle and the nearby vehicle.

Here, the steering controller 6-334 controls an electronic powersteering system (MPDS) for driving the steering wheel. When the vehicleis expected to collide, the steering controller 6-334 controls thesteering of the vehicle such that the collision may be avoided or suchthat damage may be minimized.

When the warning for the third-level collision risk is issued, asuspension controller 6-336 controls the host vehicle such that theposture of the host vehicle is normally maintained, in response to asudden steering operation for collision avoidance. That is, even whensteering control is suddenly performed to avoid the collision, thevehicle posture is maintained to ensure ride comfort and drivingstability.

When the warning for the third-level collision risk is issued, but thecollision avoidance cannot be guaranteed only by the steering control,the ECU 6-320 may use a brake controller 6-337 to brake the vehicle.That is, when the warning for the third-level risk is issued, the brakecontroller 6-337 brakes the vehicle on the basis of the control of theECU 6-320.

Here, when a forward collision is probable, the brake controller 6-337may perform control so that emergency braking is automatically activatedaccording to a control command of the ECU 6-320 irrespective of whetherthe driver operates the brake.

With the CTA system and method according to the present disclosure, itis possible to sense a risk of collision between a host vehicle and anearby vehicle at an intersection and warn a driver of the collisionrisk according to the level of the collision risk. Also, it is possibleto avoid a collision by controlling the steering of the host vehicle aswell as issuing the warning for the collision risk according to thelevel of the collision risk.

Seventh Embodiment

The seventh embodiment of the present disclosure relates toimplementation of automatic emergency braking on the basis of alongitudinal TTC and a lateral TTC between a host vehicle and athird-party vehicle in a front-view camera system for an ADAS.

The seventh embodiment of the present disclosure will be described belowwith reference to FIGS. 24 and 25.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating a host vehicle, a third-party vehicle,and a TTC according to the seventh embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 24 shows a host vehicle 7-610 and a third-party vehicle 7-620. Thehost vehicle 7-610 is a vehicle equipped with a camera system accordingto the present disclosure, and the third-party vehicle 7-620 is anyvehicle other than the host vehicle 7-610. As shown in FIG. 6, thethird-party vehicle 7-620 is traveling laterally with respect to thehost vehicle 7-610. As a representative example, the lateral travelingmay occur at an intersection. The TTC is the time required for the hostvehicle 7-610 and the third-party vehicle 7-620 to collide with eachother. The TTC may be considered as being divided into a longitudinalTTC (TTC_(x)) and a lateral TTC (TTC_(y)). That is, the lateral TTC(TTC_(y)) corresponds to the time required for the third-party vehicle7-620 to collide with the host vehicle 7-610 along a traveling path ofthe host vehicle 7-610, and the longitudinal TTC (TTC_(x)) correspondsto the time required for the host vehicle 7-610 to collide with thethird-party vehicle 7-620 along a traveling path of the third-partyvehicle 7-620.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating an autonomous emergency braking (AEB)control algorithm according to the seventh embodiment of the presentdisclosure. Such an AEB control algorithm may be performed by the camerasystem installed in the host vehicle. In detail, the AEB controlalgorithm may be performed by an image processor in the camera system.However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and it is to beunderstood that the AEB control algorithm may be performed by a cameraMCU, another MCU, an ECU, or a combination of a plurality of MCUs and/orECUs.

First, a third-party vehicle ahead is detected (S7-710). The third-partyvehicle is a vehicle traveling laterally with respect to the hostvehicle. As a representative example, such a situation may occur at anintersection.

Subsequently, the longitudinal TTC (TTC_(x)) between the host vehicleand the third-party vehicle is calculated (S7-720). The longitudinal TTCis the time required for the host vehicle to collide with respect to atraveling path of the third-party vehicle. The longitudinal TTC may becalculated by calculating an intersection point between the travelingpath of the host vehicle and the traveling path of the third-partyvehicle, calculating a distance between the host vehicle and theintersection point, and dividing the calculated distance by the speed ofthe host vehicle.

Subsequently, the lateral TTC (TTC_(y)) between the host vehicle and thethird-party vehicle is calculated (S7-730). The lateral TTC is the timerequired for the third-party vehicle to collide with respect to atraveling path of the host vehicle. The lateral TTC may be calculated bycalculating an intersection point between the traveling path of the hostvehicle and the traveling path of the third-party vehicle, calculating adistance between the third-party vehicle and the intersection point, anddividing the calculated distance by the speed of the third-partyvehicle.

Subsequently, a difference between the longitudinal TTC and the lateralTTC is compared to a pre-determined threshold TTC_(th) (S7-740). When itis determined that the absolute value of the difference is smaller thanthe pre-determined threshold, AEB is executed (S7-750). When it isdetermined that the absolute value of the difference is larger than thepre-determined threshold, AEB is not executed. For example, when thelongitudinal TTC is 10 seconds and the lateral TTC is 1 second, theabsolute value of the difference is calculated as 9 seconds. Nineseconds are enough for the driver to depend (that is, the time isgreater than a pre-determined threshold). In this case, the AEB is notexecuted. However, for example, when the longitudinal TTC is 10 secondsand the lateral TTC is 9 seconds, the absolute value of the differenceis calculated as 1 second. One second is not enough for the driver torespond (that is, the time is smaller than the pre-determinedthreshold). In this case, the AEB is executed.

The pre-determined threshold is determined on the basis of at least oneof a longitudinal TTC, a lateral TTC, a road condition, a roadinclination, and a temperature. For example, when the longitudinal TTCand the lateral TTC are large (e.g., which are equal to 50 seconds and49 seconds, respectively) although the absolute value of the differenceis 1 second, it is preferable that the pre-determined threshold be setto be small. On the other hand, when the longitudinal TTC and thelateral TTC are small (e.g., which are equal to 5 seconds and 4 seconds,respectively) although the absolute value of the difference is 1 second,it is preferable that the pre-determined threshold be set to be large.Also, it is preferable that the pre-determined threshold be set to belarger when the road is wet than when the road is dry. Also, it ispreferable that the pre-determined threshold be set to be larger whenthe road is downhill than when the road is uphill or flat. Also, it ispreferable that the threshold value be set to be larger when thetemperature is low than when the temperature is high.

Eighth Embodiment

A vehicle entering an intersection is more likely to collide with anearby vehicle. When the host vehicle is decelerated or stopped whileentering the intersection, a vehicle traveling behind the host vehiclemay not recognize a signal at the intersection and thus may notdecelerate. Accordingly, the collision risk may increase. In order toprepare for such a case, recently, research has been actively conductedon a control or warning system capable of a driver avoiding a collisionpossibility.

The eighth embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a camerasystem for an ADAS and a driving assistance system for warning a driverusing the camera system.

The eighth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 26and 27.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example in which a host vehiclerecognizes an ambient situation at an intersection according to aneighth embodiment of the present disclosure. For simplicity ofdescription, a repetitive description will be omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 26, there are a host vehicle 8-1000 entering anintersection and a nearby vehicle 8-1200 traveling behind or beside thehost vehicle 8-1000. The host vehicle 8-1000 may be equipped with acamera system 1 for sensing a region ahead with respect to a vehicletraveling direction and a rear radar 8-1030 for recognizing regionsbehind and to a side. Generally, the camera system 1 may be placed onthe front of the host vehicle 8-1000, and the rear radar 8-1030 may beplaced on the rear of the host vehicle 8-1000. However, the rear radar8-1030 may be placed on the side of the host vehicle 8-1000, and thelocations of the camera system 1 and the rear radar 8-1030 may not beparticularly limited.

The camera system 1 may sense that the signal of a traffic light 8-1100changes from green to yellow or red. That is, the camera system 1 maysense that the signal of the traffic light 8-1100 changes from a “Go”signal to a “Stop” signal and may transmit data regarding the sensedsignal to an ECU 8-320. The driver is aware of the yellow or red signalof the traffic light 8-1100 and decelerates the host vehicle 8-1000.

The rear radar 8-1030 may recognize the nearby vehicle 8-1200 that maybe likely to collide with the host vehicle 8-1000. The rear radar 8-1030may be the radar apparatus that has been described with reference toFIG. 3. The rear radar 8-1030 may measure the presence of the nearbyvehicle 8-1200, the distance from the nearby vehicle 8-1200, the speedof the nearby vehicle 8-1200, and/or the traveling angle of the nearbyvehicle 8-1200, or the like. The traveling angle may refer to adirection in which the nearby vehicle 8-1200 is actually traveling withrespect to the direction of a lane in which the nearby vehicle 8-1200 istraveling. The rear radar apparatus 8-1030 may be used to sense objectsahead within a horizontal angle of 30 degrees and a distance of 150meters by FMCW or Pulse Carrier.

The ECU 8-320 may receive signal data of the traffic light 8-1100 sensedby the camera system 1 and data regarding the nearby vehicle 8-1200sensed by the rear radar 8-1030 and determine a risk of collision withthe host vehicle 8-1000 and the nearby vehicle 8-1200. As an example,when the host vehicle 8-1000 decelerates or travels at constant speedand the nearby vehicle 8-1200 located behind the host vehicle 8-1000accelerates toward the host vehicle 8-1000, the ECU 8-320 may determinea collision risk through data regarding a distance between the hostvehicle 8-1000 and the nearby vehicle 8-1200, which is measured by therear radar 8-1030. According to another example, when the host vehicle8-1000 decelerates or travels at constant speed and the nearby vehicle8-1200 located beside the host vehicle 8-1000 is steered toward the hostvehicle 8-1200, the ECU 8-320 may determine a collision risk throughdata regarding a distance between the host vehicle 8-1000 and the nearbyvehicle 8-1200, which is measured by the rear radar 8-1030, and dataregarding a traveling angle of the nearby vehicle 8-1200. As anotherexample, when the host vehicle 8-1000 decelerates and the nearby vehicle8-1200 accelerates toward the host vehicle 8-1000, the ECU 8-320 maydetermine a collision risk through the degree of deceleration of thehost vehicle 8-1000, the degree of acceleration of the nearby vehicle8-1200, and the distance between the host vehicle 8-1000 and the nearbyvehicle 8-1200. The method in which the ECU 8-320 determines thecollision risk is not limited thereto, and the collision risk may bevariously determined by combining the data provided by the camera system1 and the data provided by the rear radar 8-1030.

When it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision betweenthe host vehicle 8-1000 and the nearby vehicle 8-1200, the ECU 8-320 maycontrol a driver warning controller 8-331 to warn the driver of thecollision risk. The driver warning controller 8-331 may warn the driverby using at least one of video, audio, and steering wheel vibration. Forexample, when there is a possibility of a collision between the hostvehicle 8-1000 and the nearby vehicle 8-1200, the ECU 8-320 may warn thedriver through a dashboard or an HUD in a video manner, warn the driverby generating warning sounds, or warn the driver by vibrating thesteering wheel above a certain intensity level. The certain intensitylevel may be defined as an intensity level greater than normal vibrationof the steering wheel that the driver may feel while driving.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart illustrating an example in which a driver iswarned depending on an ambient situation of a host vehicle according tothe eighth embodiment of the present disclosure. The followingdescription with reference to FIG. 7 will focus on an example in which avehicle behind is recognized.

Referring to FIG. 27, a traffic light located ahead of the host vehiclemay be recognized through a camera system installed in the host vehicle.Through the camera system, a change of the signal of the traffic lightfrom green (indicating a “Go” signal) to yellow or red (indicating a“Stop” signal) may be recognized (S8-10). When the signal of the trafficlight is changed to yellow or red, a vehicle behind may be recognizedthrough a rear radar. In this case, the rear radar may be discover thepresence of a vehicle behind, the speed of a vehicle behind, a distancebetween the host vehicle and a vehicle behind, and the traveling angleof a vehicle behind (S8-20). The ECU may determine a possibility ofcollision between the host vehicle and the vehicle behind by combiningthe data discovered by the camera system and the data discovered by therear radar. When the collision possibility is determined, the ECU maymainly compare the speed of the host vehicle and the speed of thevehicle behind. In addition, the ECU may compare the speed of the hostvehicle and the data regarding the vehicle behind, which is detected bythe rear radar, to determine a collision possibility (S8-35). When thereis no collision possibility, the host vehicle may stop or go accordingto the control of the driver. When the host vehicle enters anintersection again, the ECU may recognize a traffic light at theintersection. When there is a collision possibility, the ECU may warnthe driver that there is a collision possibility. When the driver iswarned, the driver may control the host vehicle to help avoiding thecollision with the vehicle behind (S8-40).

Ninth Embodiment

An intersection is a point where traveling paths of vehicles intersecteach other, and thus an accident may occur frequently at anintersection. In particular, when the signal of a traffic light at anintersection is changed, vehicles may cross the intersection withoutrecognizing a “Stop signal” of the traffic light. In this case, there isa need for a technique for determining a collision possibility throughthe speeds of vehicles and a distance between vehicles irrespective ofthe presence or absence of the signal.

The ninth embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a drivingassistance system for avoiding a collision between vehicles.

The ninth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 28to 30.

FIG. 28 is a diagram showing locations of a host vehicle and a nearbyvehicle at an intersection according to the ninth embodiment of thepresent disclosure. For simplicity of description, a repetitivedescription will be omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 28, a host vehicle 9-1000 and a nearby vehicle9-1200 enter an intersection. As an example, the host vehicle 9-1000 maychange steering to turn left, and thus the traveling directions of thehost vehicle 9-1000 and the nearby vehicle 9-1200 may intersect eachother. The host vehicle 9-1000 may be equipped with a sensor 9-1100 anda camera system 1 for sensing a region ahead of the host vehicle 9-1000.The camera system 1 may acquire an image of the region ahead of the hostvehicle 9-1000 and measure the presence and location of the nearbyvehicle 9-1200. The sensor 9-1100 may measure a distance between thehost vehicle 9-1000 and the nearby vehicle 9-1200 and the speed(relative speed or absolute speed) of the nearby vehicle 9-1200. Thesensor 9-1100 may include at least one of a radar and a Lidar.

An ECU 9-320 may determine a risk of collision between the host vehicle9-1000 and the nearby vehicle 9-1200 through the data acquired by thecamera system 1 and the data acquired by the sensor 9-1100 and maycalculate a TTC, which is a time to collision. The TTC may be calculatedthrough the traveling paths of the host vehicle 9-1000 and the nearbyvehicle 9-1200, the speed (relative speed or absolute speed) of thenearby vehicle 9-1200, and the location of the nearby vehicle 1200acquired through the camera system 1.

The ECU 9-320 may set a vehicle control start time after calculating theTTC. The vehicle control start time may refer to a time at which apossibility of collision between the host vehicle 9-1000 and the nearbyvehicle 9-1200 is recalculated after the TTC is calculated. The vehiclecontrol start time may include a first vehicle control start time and asecond vehicle control start time, and the first vehicle control starttime may precede the second vehicle control start time. That is, afterthe collision possibility is re-determined at the first vehicle controlstart time, the collision possibility is determined at the secondvehicle control start time. The ECU 9-320 may recalculate thepossibility of collision between the host vehicle 9-1000 and the nearbyvehicle 9-1200 gain in the first and second vehicle control start timeand may control the host vehicle 9-1000. The ECU 9-320 may control awarning controller 9-331, a steering controller 9-334, and a brakecontroller 9-337 in order to control the host vehicle 9-1000. However,controller controlled by the ECU 9-320 are not limited thereto.

As an example, when the camera system 1 recognizes the nearby vehicle9-1200 ahead of the host vehicle 9-1000, the ECU 9-320 may calculate afirst TTC and may calculate a second TTC at the first vehicle controlstart time. In this case, when the second TTC is smaller than the firstTTC, the ECU 9-320 may generate a warning to warn the driver. Forexample, the warning may include a video warning, an audio warning, anda steering handle vibration warning. The ECU 9-320 may calculate a thirdTTC at the second vehicle control start time. In this case, when thethird TTC is smaller than the first TTC or the second TTC, the ECU 9-320may control the steering and brake of the host vehicle 9-1000 to avoidthe collision.

FIG. 29 is a diagram showing 2D coordinates of a nearby vehicle withrespect to a host vehicle according to the ninth embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 6, and 29, a traveling route 9-1010 of the hostvehicle 9-1000 may intersect a traveling route 9-1210 of the nearbyvehicle 9-120, and thus there is a collision possibility therebetween.The sensor 9-1100 may measure a straight distance DO between the hostvehicle 9-1000 and the nearby vehicle 9-1200 and may measure the speed(relative speed or absolute speed) of the nearby vehicle 9-1200.

As an example, the ECU 9-320 may calculate a TTC of the host vehicle9-1000 and the nearby vehicle 9-1200 using a relative distance betweenthe host vehicle 9-1000 and the nearby vehicle 9-1200 and the relativespeed of the nearby vehicle 9-1200. That is, the ECU 9-320 may obtainthe TTC by dividing the relative distance with respect to the nearbyvehicle 9-1200 by the relative speed with respect to the nearby vehicle9-1200.

As another example, the ECU 9-320 may generate 2D coordinates of thenearby vehicle 9-1200 with respect to the host vehicle 9-1000 throughthe camera system 1 and the sensor 9-1100. The ECU 9-320 may calculatean expected collision point P by comparing a travelable distance Dpcorresponding to the absolute speed of the nearby vehicle 9-1200 and atraveling distance Dx corresponding to the absolute speed of the hostvehicle 9-1200 through the 2D coordinates and may find a TTC on thebasis of the expected collision point P.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart illustrating the order of controlling a hostvehicle according to the ninth embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 30, a camera system installed in the host vehicle mayrecognize a nearby vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle (S9-10).When the nearby vehicle ahead of the host vehicle is recognized, thesensor may measure the speed of the vehicle ahead and a distance betweenthe host vehicle and the nearby vehicle. The ECU may generate 2Dcoordinates of the nearby vehicle with respect to the host vehiclethrough the data measured by the camera system and the data measured bythe sensor. The 2D coordinates may be generated in consideration of thelocations of the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle and the travelingroutes of the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle (S9-20). The ECU 9-320may calculate a first TTC of the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle bycombing information regarding the speeds of the host vehicle and thenearby vehicle with information regarding the 2D coordinates.Subsequently, the ECU 9-320 may re-determine a possibility of collisionbetween the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle and may calculate asecond TTC. In this case, when the second TTC is smaller than the firstTTC, that is, when the time to collision decreases, the ECU may generatea warning and inform the driver that there is a collision possibility.When the second TTC is large than the first TTC, that is, when the timeto collision increases, the ECU may determine that there is no collisionpossibility such that separate control may not be performed. Forexample, when the driver changes steering so that the traveling route ischanged in the opposite direction before the second TTC is calculated,the collision possibility may decrease (S9-35, S9-40). When the driveris warned, the ECU may re-determine a possibility of collision betweenthe host vehicle and the nearby vehicle and may calculate a third TTC.In this case, when the third TTC is smaller than the first TTC and thesecond TTC, that is, when the time to collision decreases, the ECU maycontrol the steering of the host vehicle or drive the brake to avoid acollision between the host vehicle and the nearby vehicle (S9-55,S9-60).

Tenth Embodiment

At an intersection, a host vehicle may go straight, turn around, or turnleft or right, and nearby vehicles (vehicles traveling laterally) otherthan the host vehicle may also turn around or turn left or right. Thus,a vehicle collision accident may occur frequently. In particular, acollision accident may occur due to a laterally appearing pedestrian andnearby vehicle. However, when a collision between the host vehicle and anearby vehicle is expected, a CTA system according to the related artperforms only braking control on the host vehicle. When the CTA systemis applied to a plurality of vehicles entering an intersection, all ofthe vehicles may be braked to rather cause a bigger accident.

The tenth embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a CTA systemand method capable of setting a priority for CTA control between a hostvehicle and a nearby vehicle so that the host vehicle may avoid acollision with a laterally appearing pedestrian and vehicle when thehost vehicle enters an intersection.

The tenth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described belowwith reference to FIGS. 31 to 34.

FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a CTA system according to the tenthembodiment of the present disclosure, and FIG. 32 is a diagram showingcontrollers controlled for collision avoidance and a control unit shownin FIG. 31.

Referring to FIGS. 31 and 32, the CTA system according to the tenthembodiment of the present disclosure includes a camera system, a radarsystem, and a control unit 10-170.

The camera system includes at least one camera 10-110. The camera 10-110may include a mono camera, a stereo camera, or a surround vision cameraand may capture regions ahead of, behind, to the left of, and to theright of the vehicle to generate image data. The image data generated bythe camera 10-110 is provided to the control unit 10-170.

The radar system includes a front radar 10-120, a front right radar10-130, a front left radar 10-140, a rear right radar 10-150, a rearleft radar 10-160, and a plurality of radar MCUs for driving the radars.

The radar system emits radio waves to the regions ahead of, behind, tothe left of, and to the right of the host vehicle and then receivesreflected waves to detect objects located ahead, behind, to the left,and to the right within a distance of 150 meters and a horizontal angleof 30 degrees. Here, the radar system detects the objects using FMCW andPulse Carrier and transmits radar data including a result of detectingthe objects to the control unit 10-170.

The control unit 10-170 includes a receiving unit 10-172, an ECU 10-320,and a transmitting unit 10-174.

The receiving unit 10-172, which is disposed in the host vehicle, isconnected to a transmitting unit of a nearby vehicle in a wirelesscommunication manner (e.g., 4G long term evolution (LTE)) and isconfigured to receive a nearby vehicle-specific CTA control signal fromthe nearby vehicle. The received nearby vehicle-specific CTA controlsignal is transmitted to the ECU 10-320.

The transmitting unit 10-174, which is disposed in the host vehicle, isconnected to a receiving unit of a nearby vehicle in a wirelesscommunication manner (e.g., 4G LTE) and is configured to transmit a hostvehicle-specific CTA control signal generated by the ECU 10-320 to thenearby vehicle.

Intersection CTA Control of Host Vehicle

FIG. 33 is a diagram showing an example in which nearby vehicles aredetected by a camera system and a radar system disposed in a hostvehicle, and FIG. 34 is a diagram showing a method of setting controlpriorities of a CTA system when a plurality of vehicles enter anintersection.

Referring to FIGS. 33 and 34, the ECU 10-320 detects nearby vehicles B1to B5 on the basis of image data and radar data when a host vehicle Aenters an intersection. Also, the ECU 10-320 determines collisionpossibilities between the host vehicle A and the nearby vehicles B1 toB5 and generates a host vehicle-specific CTA control signal when thereis a collision possibility. The ECU 10-320 generates a vehicle controlsignal for controlling the host vehicle according to the CTA controlsignal and supplies the generated vehicle control signal to a vehicleposture controller 10-333, a steering controller 10-334, an enginecontroller 10-335, a suspension controller 10-336, and a brakecontroller 10-337. In this way, the host vehicle may be controlled totravel at an intersection without CTA emergency braking, steeringavoidance, deceleration, acceleration, or CTA control.

CTA Control Priority Determination and CTA Control Between Host Vehicleand Nearby Vehicle

The ECU 10-320 detects nearby vehicles B1 and B2 on the basis of imagedata and radar data when the host vehicle A enters an intersection.Also, the ECU 10-320 determines collision possibilities between the hostvehicle A and the nearby vehicles B1 and B2 and generates a hostvehicle-specific CTA control signal when there is a collisionpossibility. The host vehicle-specific CTA control signal generated bythe ECU 10-320 is transmitted to the nearby vehicles B1 and B2 throughthe transmitting unit 10-174.

Here, by comparing CTA control signals transmitted and received betweenthe host vehicle and the nearby vehicles, The ECU 10-320 determines avehicle for performing CTA emergency braking, a vehicle for performingsteering avoidance, a vehicle for performing deceleration, a vehicle forperforming acceleration, and a vehicle for traveling without CTAcontrol. That is, by determining CTA control priorities of a pluralityof vehicles and sharing the determined CTA control priorities betweenthe host vehicle and the nearby vehicles, the CTA control may besystematically performed at an intersection. In this case, by comparinga CTA control signal of any one of the nearby vehicles as well as thehost vehicle and CTA control signals of other nearby vehicles, the ECU10-320 may determine a vehicle for performing CTA emergency braking, avehicle for performing steering avoidance, a vehicle for performingdeceleration, a vehicle for performing acceleration, and a vehicle fortraveling without CTA control.

The ECU 10-320 generates a vehicle control signal for controlling thehost vehicle according to the CTA control priorities on the basis of theCTA control signal of the host vehicle or the CTA control signals of thenearby vehicles.

Also, the ECU 10-320 supplies the generated control signal to thevehicle posture controller 10-333, the steering controller 10-334, theengine controller 10-335, the suspension controller 10-336, and thebrake controller 10-337. In this way, the host vehicle may be controlledto travel at an intersection without CTA emergency braking, steeringavoidance, deceleration, acceleration, or CTA control.

The CTA system and method according to the tenth embodiment of thepresent disclosure may determine priorities for CTA control throughcommunication between a host vehicle and nearby vehicles when the hostvehicle enters an intersection and may enable a plurality of vehicles tosystematically perform CTA control at the intersection according to thedetermined CTA priorities. Also, by detecting a laterally appearingvehicle or pedestrian and performing CTA control when the host vehicleenters the intersection, it is possible to prevent a collision.

Here, by controlling the steering controller 10-334, the enginecontroller 10-335, and the brake controller 10-337, it is possible toavoid a collision at the intersection. In order to prevent a reductionof ride quality due to a significant change in speed or steering of thehost vehicle and prevent an accident due to a driver's postureinstability, the vehicle posture controller 10-333 and the suspensioncontroller 10-336 are also controlled to ensure driving stability alongwith collision avoidance.

Eleventh Embodiment

Recently, research has been accelerated on systems for sensing thesurroundings of a vehicle for the purpose of a driver's safety andconvenience. The vehicle sensing system is used variously, for example,to sense empty space to perform autonomous parking as well as to senseobjects near the vehicle to prevent a collision with an object that isnot recognized by the driver. Also, the vehicle detection systemprovides the most essential data for automatic vehicle control.Typically, such a sensing system includes a system utilizing radarsignals and a system utilizing cameras. The system utilizing radarsignals is an apparatus for transmitting radar signals to apre-determined sensing region, collecting signals reflected from thesensing region, analyzing the reflected signals, and sensing thesurroundings of a vehicle. Advantageously, this system is excellent interms of detection accuracy for the location and speed of the vehicle,is less influenced by external environments, and also is excellent interms of detection performance for an object located longitudinally.However, the system is less accurate in detecting the location and speedof an object located laterally and in classifying objects and detectinginformation. The system utilizing cameras is an apparatus for analyzingimage information acquired through camera capture and sensing thesurroundings of the vehicle. Advantageously, this system is good interms of object classification and detection accuracy for objectinformation. Also, this system is good in terms of speed detection foran object located laterally. However, the system configured to usecameras is easily affected by external environments and has relativelylow detection accuracy for distance and speed compared to the systemconfigured to use radar signals.

The eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a systemfor sensing a vehicle and pedestrian traveling laterally at anintersection through a combination of a camera and a radar.

The eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure will be describedbelow with reference to FIGS. 35 to 39.

FIG. 35 is a diagram showing a configuration of a vehicular controldevice according to the eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 35, a vehicular control device 11-100 according to theeleventh embodiment of the present disclosure includes an imagegeneration unit 11-110, a first information generation unit 11-120, asecond information generation unit 11-130, and a control unit 11-140.

The image generation unit 11-110 may include at least one cameradisposed in a host vehicle 11-10 and may capture a region ahead of thehost vehicle 11-10 to generate an image regarding the region ahead ofthe host vehicle 11-10. Also, the image generation unit 11-110 maycapture a region surrounding the host vehicle 11-10 in one or moredirections, as well as the region ahead of the host vehicle 11-10, togenerate an image regarding the region surrounding the host vehicle11-10.

Here, the image regarding the region ahead and the image regarding thesurrounding region may be digital images and may include color images,monochrome images, infrared images, or the like. Also, the imageregarding the region ahead and the image regarding the surroundingregion may include still images and videos. The image generation unit11-110 provides the image regarding the region ahead and the imageregarding the surrounding region to the control unit 11-140.

Subsequently, the first information generation unit 11-120 may includeat least one radar disposed in the host vehicle 11-10 and may sense aregion ahead of the host vehicle 11-10 and generate first sensinginformation.

In detail, the first information generation unit 11-120 is disposed inthe host vehicle 11-10 and is configured to sense the locations andspeeds of vehicles located ahead of the host vehicle 11-10, the presenceor location of a pedestrian, or the like and generate first sensinginformation.

By using the first sensing information generated by the firstinformation generation unit 11-120, it is possible to perform control tomaintain a distance between the host vehicle 11-10 and a precedingvehicle, and it is also possible to increase vehicle operating stabilitywhen a driver wants to change a traveling lane of the host vehicle 11-10or upon a pre-determined specific case, e.g., backward parking. Thefirst information generation unit 11-120 provides the first sensinginformation to the control unit 11-140.

Here, an intersection may be sensed using the image regarding the regionahead, which is generated by the image generation unit 11-110, and thefirst sensing information, which is generated by the first informationgeneration unit 11-120.

Subsequently, when the intersection is sensed on the basis of the imageregarding the region ahead, which is generated by the image generationunit 11-110, and the first sensing information, which is generated bythe first information generation unit 11-120, the second informationgeneration unit 11-130 senses the side of the host vehicle 11-10 andgenerates second sensing information.

In detail, the second information generation unit 11-130 may include atleast one radar disposed in the host vehicle 11-10, and senses thelocations and speeds of vehicles located to the side of the host vehicle11-10. Here, the second information generation unit 11-130 may includesecond information generation units disposed at both sides of the frontand the rear of the host vehicle 11-10.

In this case, when the intersection is sensed on the basis of the imageregarding the region ahead, which is generated by the image generationunit 11-110, and the first sensing information, which is generated bythe first information generation unit 11-120, the second informationgeneration unit 11-130 increases the sensing of locations and speeds ofvehicles located to the side of the host vehicle 11-10.

In order to intensively sense vehicles located to the side of the hostvehicle 11-10, as an example, the second information generation unit11-130 may increase the area of a sensing region to a side of the hostvehicle 11-10. Also, the second information generation unit 11-130 mayincrease the length of the sensing region to the side of the hostvehicle 11-10 and may increase the number of times a vehicle is sensedin the sensing region to the side of the host vehicle 11-10 for acertain period of time by reducing the sensing cycle. The secondinformation generation unit 11-130 provides the second sensinginformation to the control unit 11-140.

FIG. 36 is a diagram showing sensing regions of the first informationgeneration unit and the second information generation unit before anintersection is sensed.

Referring to FIG. 36, the first information generation unit 11-120 mayinclude one or more radars, and may sense the locations and speeds ofvehicles located ahead of the host vehicle 11-10 and generate the firstsensing information.

Before the intersection is sensed, the first information generation unit11-120 may increase the area of a sensing region ahead of the hostvehicle 11-10 in order to intensively (mainly) sense the region ahead ofthe host vehicle 11-10. Also, the first information generation unit11-120 may increase the length of the sensing region ahead of the hostvehicle 11-10 and may increase the number of times a vehicle is sensedin the sensing region ahead of the host vehicle 11-10 for the sameperiod of time.

Also, the second information generation unit 11-130 may include one ormore radars and may sense the locations and speeds of vehicles locatedto the side of the host vehicle 11-10.

FIG. 37 is a diagram showing a change in area of the sensing region ofthe second information generation unit after the intersection is sensed.

Referring to FIG. 37, when an intersection is sensed on the basis of thefirst sensing information and the image regarding the region ahead, thesecond information generation unit 11-130 may increase the area of thesensing region to the side of the host vehicle 11-10 to sense thelocations and speeds of vehicles located to the side of the host vehicle11-10 more intensively than the locations and speeds of vehicles locatedahead of the host vehicle 11-10. That is, the locations and speeds ofvehicles located to the side of the host vehicle 11-10 rather than thelocations and speeds of vehicles located ahead of the host vehicle 11-10may be selected as critical sensing targets.

FIG. 38 is a diagram showing a change in length of the sensing region ofthe second information generation unit after an intersection is sensed.

Referring to FIG. 38, when an intersection is monitored on the basis ofthe first sensing information and the image regarding the region ahead,the second information generation unit 11-130 may increase the length ofthe sensing region to the side of the host vehicle 11-10 to select thelocations and speeds of vehicles located to the side of the host vehicle11-10 and also the locations and speeds of vehicles located ahead of thehost vehicle 11-10 as critical sensing targets.

Subsequently, the control unit 11-140 selects a target vehicle 11-20 onthe basis of the second sensing information, determines whether the hostvehicle 11-10 will collide with the target vehicle 11-20, and controlsthe host vehicle 11-10.

In detail, the control unit 11-140 selects a vehicle close to the hostvehicle 11-10 as the target vehicle 11-20 on the basis of the secondsensing information. Also, the control unit 11-140 selects a vehiclethat is not close to the host vehicle 11-10 but approaches the hostvehicle 11-10 as the target vehicle 11-20. In this case, the controlunit 11-140 may determine that a stopped vehicle is a vehicle without arisk of collision and exclude the stopped vehicle from the selection ofthe target vehicle 11-20.

The control unit 11-140 determines whether the host vehicle 11-10 willcollide with the selected target vehicle 11-20. Also, when it isdetermined that the host vehicle 11-10 will collide with the selectedtarget vehicle 11-20, the control unit 11-140 may warn the driver of thecollision and may control the host vehicle 11-10 to be braked.

FIG. 39 is an operational flowchart illustrating a vehicle controlmethod according to the eleventh embodiment of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 39, the image generation unit 11-110 generates animage regarding a region ahead, and the first information generationunit 11-120 generates first sensing information (S11-510).

In detail, the image generation unit 11-110 captures a region ahead ofthe host vehicle 11-10 to generate an image regarding the region ahead.Here, the image generation unit 11-110 may capture a region surroundingthe host vehicle 11-10 in one or more directions, as well as the regionahead of the host vehicle 11-10, to generate an image regarding theregion surrounding the host vehicle 11-10.

The first information generation unit 11-120 senses the region ahead ofthe host vehicle 11-10 and generates first sensing information.

Subsequently, when an intersection is sensed on the basis of the imageregarding the region ahead and the first sensing information, the secondinformation generation unit 11-130 generates second sensing information(S11-520).

In detail, the second information generation unit 11-130 is disposed inthe host vehicle 11-10 and is configured to sense the locations andspeeds of vehicles located to the side of the host vehicle 11-10. Inthis case, when the intersection is sensed, the second informationgeneration unit 11-130 increases the sensing of the side of the hostvehicle 11-10 and selects the side of the host vehicle 11-10 as acritical sensing region. Also, the second information generation unit11-130 selects the locations and speeds of vehicles located to the sideof the host vehicle 11-10 as critical sensing targets, and intensivelysenses the locations and speeds.

As an example, the second information generation unit 11-130 mayincrease the area of the sensing region to the side of the host vehicle11-10 or the length of the sensing region to the side to increase thesensing of the side of the host vehicle 11-1. Thus, the secondinformation generation unit 11-130 may intensively sense the side of thehost vehicle 11-10. Also, the second information generation unit 11-130may increase the number of times the sensing region to the side of thehost vehicle 11-10 is sensed for a certain period of time by reducingthe sensing cycle and thus may intensively sense the side of the hostvehicle 11-10.

Subsequently, the control unit 11-140 selects the target vehicle 11-20on the basis of the second sensing information (S11-530).

In detail, the control unit 11-140 selects a vehicle close to the hostvehicle 11-10 as the target vehicle 11-20 on the basis of the secondsensing information. Also, the control unit 11-140 may select, as thetarget vehicle, a vehicle approaching the host vehicle 11-10 from amongtraveling vehicles.

The control unit 11-140 may exclude a stopped vehicle, which is avehicle with no risk of collision with the host vehicle 11-10, from theselection of the target vehicle 11-20.

Subsequently, the control unit 11-140 determines whether the hostvehicle 11-10 will collide with the target vehicle 11-20 (S11-540).

When it is determined that the host vehicle 11-10 will collide with thetarget vehicle 11-20, the control unit 11-140 controls the host vehicle11-10 (S11-550).

In detail, when it is determined that the host vehicle 11-10 willcollide with the target vehicle 11-20, the control unit 11-140 may warnthe driver of the collision and may control the braking apparatus tobrake the host vehicle 11-10. Thus, the control unit 11-140 may performemergency braking on the host vehicle 11-10.

When it is determined that the host vehicle 11-10 will not collide withthe target vehicle 11-20, the control unit 11-140 controls the hostvehicle 11-10 to travel according to the driver's command (S11-560).

As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possibleto implement a vehicle control apparatus and method capable of sensingan intersection using a camera and a radar disposed in the host vehicle11-10 and capable of performing emergency braking on the host vehicle11-10 and also issuing a warning to the driver when a collision betweenthe host vehicle 11-10 and the target vehicle 11-20 is expected to occurat the sensed intersection.

Twelfth Embodiment

An intersection is a point where traveling paths of vehicles intersecteach other, and thus an accident may occur frequently at anintersection. In particular, when the signal of a traffic light at anintersection is changed, there is a high likelihood of a collisionoccurring in a direction that a driver is not watching. To this end,research is required on a technique capable of complementing a limitedwatching range of the driver.

The twelfth embodiment of the present disclosure relates to an ADAS, andparticularly, to a driving assistance system for avoiding a collisionbetween vehicles.

The twelfth embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.40A, 40B, and 41.

FIGS. 40A and 40B are diagrams illustrating operation of a drivingassistance system during a left turn according to the twelfth embodimentof the present disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 40A, a host vehicle 12-1000 is waiting atan intersection to turn left. In this case, the driver may watch theleft direction with respect to the intersection. The left direction thatthe driver is watching may be defined as a first direction, and theright direction, which is opposite to the first direction, may bedefined as a second direction. A vehicle approaching the intersectionfrom the first direction may be defined as a first third-party vehicle12-1200 a, and a vehicle approaching the intersection from the seconddirection may be defined as a second third-party vehicle 12-1200 b. Thedirection that the driver is watching may be sensed through a drivermonitoring camera 316 disposed inside the vehicle. The driver monitoringcamera 316 may sense a heading direction of the driver's face or aviewing direction for the driver's eyes to sense the direction that thedriver is watching. The driver monitoring camera 316 may be an elementin the MCU level.

The driver may sense an object approaching from the first direction andcontrol the host vehicle 12-1000, and a range in which the driver candirectly control the host vehicle 12-1000 may be defined as a drivercontrol range 12-1300 a. When there is a possibility of collisionbetween the host vehicle 12-1000 and a third-party vehicle in the drivercontrol range 12-1300 a, an ECU 12-320 may control a driver warningcontroller 12-331 to issue a warning. The vehicle camera system 1 maysense an object approaching from the second direction, which the driveris not watching, and the ECU 12-320 may control a steering controller12-334 and a brake controller 12-337 through data acquired by thevehicle camera system 1 to control the steering and braking of the hostvehicle 12-1000. In this case, a range in which the ECU 12-320 cancontrol the host vehicle may be defined as a system control range12-1300 b. That is, the ECU 12-320 may sense the second direction, whichis opposite to the first direction that the driver is watching and maycontrol the host vehicle 12-1000 when there is a possibility ofcollision in the second direction.

The ECU 12-320 may determine, on a level basis, collision riskpossibilities between the host vehicle and third-party vehicles 12-1200a and 12-1200 b though data regarding whether the third-party vehicles12-1200 a and 12-1200 b are approaching, which is acquired by the camerasystem 1. The camera system 1 may measure the relative speeds of thethird-party vehicles 12-1200 a and 12-1200 b approaching the hostvehicle 12-1000 and the distances between the host vehicle 12-1000 andthe third-party vehicles 12-1200 a and 12-1200 b. The ECU 12-320 may setlevels for the collision risk possibilities through the relative speedsbetween the host vehicle 12-1000 and the third-party vehicles 12-1200 aand 12-1200 b approaching the host vehicle 12-1000 and the distancesbetween the host vehicle 12-1000 and the third-party vehicles 12-1200 aand 12-1200 b. For example, when the distance is smaller than apre-determined distance and the speed is higher than a pre-determinedrelative speed, the ECU 12-320 may determine that this situationcorresponds to a high collision risk possibility level. When thedistance is larger than the pre-determined distance and the speed islower than the pre-determined relative speed, the ECU 12-320 maydetermine that this situation corresponds to a low collision riskpossibility level. However, the criterion is merely an example and maybe variously preset. When a collision risk level in the driver controlrange 12-1300 a is the same as a collision risk level in the systemcontrol range 12-1300 b, the ECU 12-320 may determine that a collisionrisk is higher in the system control range 12-1300 b than in the drivercontrol range 12-1300 a. That is, the ECU 12-320 may mainly control arisk of collision that may occur beyond a driver controllable range.

Unlike the above-described example, the ECU 12-320 may control the hotvehicle 12-1000 unlike the driver's control when there is high collisionpossibility in the driver control range 12-1300 a. That is, when thereis no collision possibility in the system control range 12-1300 b butthere is high collision possibility in the driver control range 12-1300,the ECU 12-320 may be set to issue a warning as well as to control thesteering and braking of the host vehicle 12-1000.

Referring to FIG. 40B, the driver may turn left at an intersection whilesensing the first third-party vehicle 12-1200 a located in the firstdirection. In this case, the vehicle camera system 1 may sense thepresence of the second third-party vehicle 12-1200 b approaching thehost vehicle 12-1000, and the ECU 12-320 may determine a possibility ofcollision between the host vehicle 12-1000 and the second third-partyvehicle 12-1200 b. When a collision is expected to occur within thesystem control range 12-1300 b, the ECU 12-320 may control the steeringand braking of the host vehicle 12-1000 to prevent a collision betweenthe host vehicle 12-1000 and the second third-party vehicle 12-1200 b.

FIG. 41 is a diagram illustrating operation of the driving assistancesystem during a right turn according to the twelfth embodiment of thepresent disclosure. For simplicity of description, a repetitivedescription of those described with reference to FIGS. 40A and 40B willbe omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 41, a host vehicle 12-1000 is waiting at anintersection to turn right. In this case, the driver may watch the rightdirection with respect to the intersection. The right direction that thedriver is watching may be defined as a first direction, and the leftdirection, which is opposite to the first direction, may be defined as asecond direction. The driver may sense an object approaching from thefirst direction and control the host vehicle 12-1000, and a range inwhich the driver can directly control the host vehicle 12-1000 may bedefined as a driver control range 12-1300 a. When there is a possibilityof collision between the host vehicle 12-1000 and a third-party vehiclein the driver control range 12-1300 a, the ECU 12-320 may control thedriver warning controller 12-331 to issue a warning. The vehicle camerasystem 1 may sense an object approaching from the second direction,which the driver is not watching, and the ECU 12-320 may control thesteering controller 12-334 and the brake controller 12-337 through dataacquired by the vehicle camera system 1 to control the steering anbraking of the host vehicle 12-1000. In this case, a range in which theECU 12-320 can control the host vehicle may be defined as a systemcontrol range 12-1300 b.

The driver may turn left at the intersection while sensing the object12-1200 b located in the first direction. The object 12-1200 b may be avehicle, a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or the like. In this case, thevehicle camera system 1 may sense the presence of the third-partyvehicle 12-1200 a approaching the host vehicle 12-1000, and the ECU12-320 may determine a possibility of collision between the host vehicle12-1000 and the third-party vehicle 12-1200 a. When a collision isexpected to occur within the system control range 12-1300 b, the ECU12-320 may control the steering and braking of the host vehicle 12-1000to prevent a collision between the host vehicle 12-1000 and thethird-party vehicle 12-1200 a.

Unlike the above-described example, the driver may watch a directionopposite to a direction in which the host vehicle 12-1000 is to travel.In this case, the ECU 12-320 may control the camera system 1 to watch avehicle traveling direction, which is opposite to a direction that thedriver is watching. The ECU 12-320 may determine both of a possibilityof collision that may occur in the direction in which the vehicle istraveling and a possibility of collision that may occur in the directionthat the driver is watching and may control the steering and braking ofthe host vehicle 12-1000 when there is a collision possibility in thevehicle traveling direction. Also, the ECU 12-320 may issue a warningwhere there is a collision possibility in the direction that the driveris watching.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may beimplemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.If implemented in software, the functions can be stored on ortransmitted as one or more instructions or code on a computer-readablemedium. Computer-readable media include all of communication media andcomputer storage media including any medium for facilitating transfer ofa computer program from one place to another place. Storage media may beany available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way ofexample, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can compriseRAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic diskstorage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that canbe used to carry or store desired program code in the form ofinstructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer.Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readable medium. Forexample, if the software is transmitted from a website, server, or otherremote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair,digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such asinfrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber opticcable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared,radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. Disk anddisc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, opticaldisc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc wheredisks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce dataoptically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be includedwithin the scope of computer-readable media.

When exemplary embodiments are implemented by program code or codesegments, each code segment may represent a procedure, a function, asubprogram, a program, a routine, a subroutine, a module, a softwarepackage, a class, or any combination of instructions, data structures,or program statements. A code segment may be coupled to another codesegment or a hardware circuit by passing and/or receiving information,data, arguments, parameters, or memory contents. Information, arguments,parameters, data, or the like may be passed, forwarded, or transmittedvia any suitable means including memory sharing, message passing, tokenpassing, network transmission, or the like. Additionally, in someaspects, the steps and/or operations of a method or algorithm may resideas one or any combination or set of codes and/or instructions on amachine-readable medium and/or computer-readable medium, which may beincorporated into a computer program product.

For a software implementation, the techniques described herein may beimplemented with modules (e.g., procedures, functions, and so on) thatperform the functions described herein. The software codes may be storedin memory units and executed by processors. The memory unit may beimplemented within the processor or external to the processor, in whichcase it can be communicatively coupled to the processor via variousmeans.

For a hardware implementation, the processing units may be implementedwithin one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices(DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gatearrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, micro-controllers,microprocessors, electronic devices, other electronic units designed toperform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof.

What has been described above includes examples of one or more aspects.It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combinationof components or methodologies for purposes of describing theaforementioned aspects, but one of ordinary skill in the art mayrecognize that many further combinations and permutations of variousaspects are possible. Accordingly, the described aspects are intended toembrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fallwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to theextent that the term “includes” is used in either the detaileddescription or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in amanner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpretedwhen employed as a transitional word in a claim.

The terms to “infer” or “inference”, as used herein, refer generally tothe process of reasoning about or inferring states of the system,environment, and/or user from a set of observations as captured viaevents and/or data. Inference can be employed to identify a specificcontext or action, or can generate a probability distribution overstates, for example. The inference can be probabilistic, that is, thecomputation of a probability distribution over states of interest basedon a consideration of data and events. Inference can also refer totechniques employed for composing higher-level events from a set ofevents and/or data. Such inference results in the construction of newevents or actions from a set of observed events and/or stored event datawhether or not the events are correlated in close temporal proximity,and whether the events and data come from one or several event and datasources.

As used herein, the terms “component,” “module,” “system,” and the likeare intended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware,firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or softwarein execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited tobeing, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, anexecutable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By wayof illustration, both an application running on a computing device andthe computing device can be a component. One or more components canreside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component maybe localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or morecomputers. In addition, these components can execute from variouscomputer readable media having various data structures stored thereon.The components may communicate by way of local and/or remote processessuch as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets(e.g., data from one component interacting with another component in alocal system, distributed system, and/or across a network, such as theInternet, with other systems by way of the signal).

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vehicle collision avoidance controldevice for a host vehicle, comprising: at least one sensor mounted tothe host vehicle and configured to sense a driving lane in which thehost vehicle is traveling and to sense an external vehicle partiallyengaged in the driving lane; a controller configured to control at leastone of steering, braking, or acceleration of the host vehicle on thebasis of sensing information received from the least one sensor, whereinthe controller is configured to: determine the external vehiclepartially engaged in the driving lane as a target vehicle having atleast a part thereof overlapping with a lane mark of the driving lane;determine lateral and longitudinal positional relationships between thehost vehicle and the target vehicle based on sensing informationreceived from the at least one sensor; and perform at least one of alongitudinal braking or acceleration control on the host vehicle or alateral steering control on the host vehicle based on the lateral andlongitudinal positional relationships between the host vehicle and thetarget vehicle.
 2. The vehicle collision avoidance control device ofclaim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to identify anadjacent lane which is directly adjacent to the driving lane and is freeof any part of the target vehicle, and the controller is configured toperform the longitudinal braking or acceleration control on the hostvehicle by decelerating or accelerating the host vehicle when the targetvehicle is determined to be engaged in the driving lane and athird-party vehicle is determined to be present in the adjacent lane. 3.The vehicle collision avoidance control device of claim 2, wherein thecontroller is configured to determine whether the host vehicle is ableto pass the target vehicle before the target vehicle completely entersthe driving lane using the information from the at least one sensor, andthe controller is configured to perform the longitudinal braking oracceleration control on the host vehicle by accelerating the hostvehicle in response to determining that the host vehicle is able to passthe target vehicle before the target vehicle completely enters thedriving lane.
 4. The vehicle collision avoidance control device of claim2, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the hostvehicle is able to pass the target vehicle before the target vehiclecompletely enters the driving lane using the information from the atleast one sensor, and the controller is configured to perform thelongitudinal braking or acceleration control on the host vehicle bydecelerating the host vehicle in response to determining that the hostvehicle is not able to pass the target vehicle before the target vehiclecompletely enters the driving lane.
 5. The vehicle collision avoidancecontrol device of claim 3, wherein the controller is further configuredto perform the lateral steering control on the host vehicle in additionto the longitudinal braking or acceleration control by steering the hostvehicle within the driving lane.
 6. The vehicle collision avoidancecontrol device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configuredto identify an adjacent lane which is directly adjacent to the drivinglane and is free of any part of the target vehicle, and the controlleris configured to perform the lateral steering control on the hostvehicle by steering the host vehicle in a direction toward the adjacentlane when the target vehicle is determined to be engaged in the drivinglane and a third-party vehicle is determined not to be present in theadjacent lane.
 7. The vehicle collision avoidance control device ofclaim 6, the controller is further configured to perform the lateralsteering control on the host vehicle by steering the host vehicle toenter into the adjacent lane.
 8. The vehicle collision avoidance controldevice of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to perform thelateral steering control on the host vehicle by steering the hostvehicle within the driving lane.
 9. The vehicle collision avoidancecontrol device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured toperform at least one of a longitudinal braking or acceleration controlon the host vehicle or a lateral steering control on the host vehiclebased on determining that the external vehicle is partially engaged inthe driving lane and that an angle difference between the host vehicleand the external vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined angle.10. The vehicle collision avoidance control device of claim 9, whereinthe predetermined angle is 0° to 30°.
 11. A control method for vehiclecollision avoidance, comprising: sensing a driving lane in which a hostvehicle is traveling using at least one sensor mounted to the hostvehicle, and sensing an external vehicle partially engaged in thedriving lane using the at least one sensor; determining, using acontroller communicatively connected to the at least one sensor, theexternal vehicle partially engaged in the driving lane as a targetvehicle having at least a part thereof overlapping with a lane mark ofthe driving lane; determining lateral and longitudinal positionalrelationships between the host vehicle and the target vehicle based onsensing information received from the at least one sensor; andperforming at least one of a longitudinal braking or accelerationcontrol or a lateral steering control on the host vehicle based on thelateral and longitudinal positional relationships between the hostvehicle and the target vehicle.
 12. The control method of claim 11,further comprising: identifying an adjacent lane which is directlyadjacent to the driving lane and is free of any part of the targetvehicle; and performing the longitudinal braking or acceleration controlon the host vehicle by decelerating or accelerating the host vehiclewhen the target vehicle is determined to be engaged in the driving laneand a third-party vehicle is determined to be present in the adjacentlane.
 13. The control method of claim 12, further comprising:determining whether the host vehicle is able to pass the target vehiclebefore the target vehicle completely enters the driving lane; andperforming the longitudinal braking or acceleration control on the hostvehicle by accelerating the host vehicle in response to determining thatthe host vehicle is able to pass the target vehicle before the targetvehicle completely enters the driving lane.
 14. The control method ofclaim 13, further comprising: performing the lateral steering control onthe host vehicle in addition to the longitudinal braking or accelerationcontrol by steering the host vehicle within the driving lane.
 15. Thecontrol method of claim 12, further comprising: determining whether thehost vehicle is able to pass the target vehicle before the targetvehicle completely enters the driving lane; and performing thelongitudinal braking or acceleration control on the host vehicle bydecelerating the host vehicle in response to determining that the hostvehicle is not able to pass the target vehicle before the target vehiclecompletely enters the driving lane.
 16. The control method of claim 11,further comprising: identifying an adjacent lane which is directlyadjacent to the driving lane and is free of any part of the targetvehicle; and performing the lateral steering control on the host vehicleby steering the host vehicle in a direction toward the adjacent lane inresponse to identifying a risk of collision with the target vehicle anda third-party vehicle is determined not to be present in the adjacentlane.
 17. The control method of claim 16, wherein the performing thelateral steering control on the host vehicle includes steering the hostvehicle to enter into the adjacent lane.
 18. The control method of claim16, wherein the performing the lateral steering control on the hostvehicle includes steering the host vehicle within the driving lane. 19.A vehicle collision avoidance control device for a host vehicle,comprising: at least one sensor mounted to the host vehicle andconfigured to sense a driving lane in which the host vehicle istraveling and to sense an object impinging on the driving lane; acontroller configured to control at least one of steering, braking, oracceleration of the host vehicle on the basis of sensing informationreceived from the least one sensor, wherein the controller is configuredto: detect, based on the sensing information received from the least onesensor, an object having at least a part thereof overlapping with thelane mark of the driving lane; in response to detecting the objecthaving at least a part thereof overlapping with the lane mark of thedriving lane, determine the detected object as a target object;determine lateral and longitudinal positional relationships between thehost vehicle and the target object based on sensing information receivedfrom the at least one sensor; and perform at least one of a longitudinalbraking or acceleration control on the host vehicle or a lateralsteering control on the host vehicle based on the lateral andlongitudinal positional relationships between the host vehicle and thetarget object.
 20. The vehicle collision avoidance control device ofclaim 19, wherein the controller is further configured to identify anadjacent lane which is directly adjacent to the driving lane and is freeof any part of the target object, and the controller is configured toperform the longitudinal braking or acceleration control on the hostvehicle by decelerating or accelerating the, host vehicle when thetarget object is determined to be engaged in the driving lane and athird-party vehicle is determined to be present in the adjacent lane.21. The vehicle collision avoidance control device of claim 20, whereinthe controller is configured to determine whether the host vehicle isable to pass the target object before the target object completelyenters the driving lane using the information from the at least onesensor, and the controller is configured to perform the longitudinalbraking or acceleration control on the host vehicle by accelerating thehost vehicle in response to determining that the host vehicle is able topass the target object before the target object completely enters thedriving lane.
 22. The vehicle collision avoidance control device ofclaim 20, wherein the controller is configured to determine whether thehost vehicle is able to pass the target object before the target vehiclecompletely enters the driving lane using the information from the atleast one sensor, and the controller is configured to perform thelongitudinal braking or acceleration control on the host vehicle bydecelerating the host vehicle in response to determining that the hostvehicle is not able to pass the target object before the target vehiclecompletely enters the driving lane.
 23. The vehicle collision avoidancecontrol device of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configuredto perform the lateral steering control on the host vehicle in additionto the longitudinal braking or acceleration control by steering the hostvehicle within the driving lane.
 24. The vehicle collision avoidancecontrol device of claim 19, wherein the controller is further configuredto identify an adjacent lane which is directly adjacent to the drivinglane and is free of any part of the target vehicle, and the controlleris configured to perform the lateral steering control on the hostvehicle by steering the host vehicle in a direction toward the adjacentlane when the target object is determined to be engaged in the drivinglane and a third-party vehicle is determined not to be present in theadjacent lane.
 25. The vehicle collision avoidance control device ofclaim 24, the controller is further configured to perform the lateralsteering control on the host vehicle by steering the host vehicle toenter into the adjacent lane.
 26. The vehicle collision avoidancecontrol device of claim 24, wherein the controller is configured toperform the lateral steering control on the host vehicle by steering thehost vehicle within the driving lane.